LOZ: Twilight Princess
by Luka Zetsu Cross
Summary: Sorry, I don't really have a summary, but I believe the story will still be good.
1. Prologue

**Prologue: Of Symbols and Whispers**

The soothing sounds of the spring lulled the sun in the evening sky above to sink into slumber. As the mass of brightness dwindled behind the clouds, a young ranch hand and a blacksmith sat admiring the peace. A burdened red horse with a glowing white mane sat behind them. It seemed the goddesses had painted the red and purple hues with their mighty brushes in the simplest harmony. Even frogs upon their lilies moaned in agreement, their croaks echoing into the stillness.

This was when life in the Ordon province seemed the simplest, even though it was an already simple existence. There was no rush in heavy streets, no yelling townsfolk, no ill circumstance. The trees shadowed the lives of the people, their soft whispers an unchallengeable melody of wind and leaf. There, sitting at the spirit spring, was a moment that gave another bright moment of tranquility and deterred them from their chore, yet late as it was becoming, they assured themselves there was time for this relaxation.

But it was at that time that the blacksmith, a stout-chinned man in his middle years, spoke out to the youth that sat beside him. "Tell me, Link…. Do you ever feel a strange sadness as dusk falls? They say it's the only time when our world intersects with theirs, the only time we can feel the lingering regrets of spirits who have left our world." He breathed deeply, thinking it over. Then he spoke softly, "That is why loneliness always pervades the hour of twilight."

The fair-haired youth looked to him then, a glimmering wonder glazing his crystal blue eyes. His mentor always seemed so full of life even in his older age, and his sudden weariness at the dark hour troubled him. He rarely heard him speak so.

But the blacksmith shifted his focus, "Enough of this talk, though…. Link, I have a favor to ask. I've talked it over with the Mayor, and, although it was my duty ... I want you to take Ordon's gift to Hyrule Castle. A sword and a shield; to be presented to the royal family." The blacksmith took a moment before continuing, in which the young man aside him immersed himself in a dream of discovering the world that had so long been unknown to him. "You've never been to Hyrule in your lifetime, I know, but, Link, it is a wondrous place. The other provinces and villages are quite delightful, full of life, full of people of various occupations and interests. I want you to experience it."

The blacksmith flashed a suggestive smile, "And perhaps you'll be lucky enough to meet the princess herself!"

From that proposition, Link fell into a world of fantasy. What would it be to visit other villages, to meet other people who shared in his beliefs, to ascend the honorable steps of Hyrule Castle, to meet Princess Zelda? The possibilities of such a journey sparked a new life within him, and he found himself looking to his left hand. On its back there bore a symbol of three darkened triangles. All through his life in Ordon he had wondered what this figure meant. How had such a mark branded him? He could not remember. And who were his parents? Why did they leave him to this place? He did not know. Yet he wished with all his heart for the answers to fall upon him.

In that moment, the blacksmith rose and brushed off his backside. "Well, come on then, Link, best get these bundles into town before Epona falls asleep here."

With some reluctance, Link pulled himself up from his earthly chair and took hold of Epona's reins. He called for her to rise and she obediently dragged herself from her own thoughtful wonderings.

On the way back to the village all Link could think about was this journey upon which he would soon embark. They crossed over the bridge that linked their homes to Hyrule and passed through the rocky cliffs that adjoined to another spring. Link heard a faint whisper. The back of his hand burned suddenly, but he gave no indication of this to Rusl the blacksmith who walked idly in front of him.

Rubbing away the soft pain, Link nonchalantly turned his head in the direction of the spring, but whatever had called out, there it remained no longer. Concluding that the noise had been the frail voice of the dying wind, Link continued onward into Ordon.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Ilia**

The following dawn peeked through the tiny window in Link's house. Brightly, it highlighted his figure and danced across him until he could neglect it no longer. Link stretched, opening his eyes reluctantly. He rested his hands beneath his head as he stared up at the ceiling of which he was rather near. He glanced at his window. He did not wish to banish the light now, for its rays sparkled as they stretched throughout his hollowed home, a dwelling carved into a large tree. He lifted a finger, and watched as the beam played with it, twining it within its glory. A smile spread across his face and pulled his hand down out of the heat. His eyes began to close again...

"Hey, Link! Hey, you awake?"

Link stirred immediately and tumbled out of bed. With a hard thump, he was instantly awake. Blinking away the rest of his sleep, he found his day clothes and stepped toward the window of his tree house. Down below he saw Fado, the rancher. "There you are," said Fado. "Do you mind herding the goats today?"

Link hid his amusement, erasing the grin that had spread across his lips. What would Fado do without him? What did he ever do before Link came to reside in Ordon? The question sparked a renewed smile into a permanent settlement. He stepped away from the window, stuffed his legs into his pants and continued on in lacing his other many garments about him. After he had jerked his shoes onto his feet, nearly tripping down a ladder and had swiped the sweat from his hair, he shot down the many ladders and departed from his home.

Outside, however, he met a now frantic Fado. "Where's Epona?" Looking around, the two of them noticed no sign of his horse, but upon closer inspection, Link found faint hoof marks in the soil. Instantly, he knew.

"Don't worry," assured Link. "I think I know where I can find her." Without another word the young Ordonian traced the shadow of his horse toward the Faron Woods.

===============

Link did not have to travel very far into the woods until he happened upon the end of the trail. Inside the small crevice that gave life to the spirit spring he found his beautiful crimson animal, her bright colors reflected in the water at her feet. Beside his horse stood an attractive young woman near to his own age.

Her light, short-cropped hair and bright green eyes glistened off the reflection of the spring's crisp clear waters. The illuminated white shirt she wore upon her thin frame made her appear as if an angel. So ... beautiful she seemed in the highlights of the sun above and the shine of the water upon her face and body.

Ilia….

Link found himself leaning against the craggy entrance in a daze, as he watched Ilia reach out to touch Epona's soft mane. The white hair rippled through her gentle fingers. She patted down the horse's coat, but then caught a glimpse of Link in the corner of her eye. Turning to him, she smiled. It was like nothing Link had ever seen. Each time she smiled or even looked at him he found himself in a daze.

"Oh, Link…. I washed Epona for you."

At her words he shook loose of his relaxed pose. He stumbled over a reply and eventually nodded with a thankful grin.

An awkward pause followed, one in which Link grew more nervous. Ilia remained silent in the early morning breeze, but before she could piece a sentence together, she heard Link whistle a quiet melody. Epona reared beside her and trod off toward her master. He had called to his horse in that manner more because he knew how much Ilia liked it, and he liked seeing her happy.

Yet Link had duties at the ranch. He mounted Epona's saddle and pulled her reins toward the opening. Link offered one last glance at Ilia before sending his horse into a gallop.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Across the Giants of the Wood**

The day flew past, and before Link knew it, the lustrous orange beacon had renewed itself with another dawn. Although, today, he woke to the voices of Jaggle and Pergie's sons, Talo and Malo, and Sera's daughter, Beth. Groaning, he leaned against his bed post, still groggy from his long workday the previous morning. Though, he sighed, knowing sleep would not return due to the persistence in the trio outside his house. Yanking off his covers, he fumbled about until his eyes adjusted to the rays that burst through his open window. Of all the times his fellow Ordonians could bother him, why was it always dawn? Couldn't they sleep in just once?

Link laughed at the thought. Yet then a thought came to him, and his hand crept toward his ear. Feeling its long slender body reminded Link that the villagers were not his fellow Ordonians, for he was not one of them. It was as Rusl explained to him once when he was but a boy. He was a Hylian. Hylians lived in Hyrule, past the woods of Faron. To quiet his mind, however, he usually labelled himself as one of them since he had lived in their village since infancy. He shook loose of his wonderings, jerking his hand from his ear. Thinking about it only made it worse.

When at last Link emerged from his home, he found Rusl meandering along, a bundle in his hand. Link quickly erased all remainders of his mind's confusion.

The children slunk back to watch at a distance, as Link met his mentor. "I think it's time I gave you something like this, Link. Use it well."

Link extended his arm to accept the gift and discovered a sword. It was not polished steel, but simple and wooden. Perfect for one in training. "Thank you," said Link. Rusl nodded in return and turned back into town. "You should ready yourself for the trip tomorrow," he called over his shoulder.

Before Link had time to admire his gift, Talo exploded from his hiding place, Malo and Beth right behind him. "WHOA!" burst Talo, "Can I see it? Can I? Come on! Monkeys have been running out of the woods and playing tricks on us and … we want to get 'em good!" When it was clear Link had no intention of passing the austere weapon to them, Talo compromised with: "Will you at least show us how to use one?"

Seeing no other way to escape their company, Link submitted himself to show them a few of the things he had learned when wielding a blade. He walked up to the scarecrow rooted in the ground by a long beam, and went about displaying only the most basic moves. A thrust here, jab there. A few slices. Link ended the session after about five or ten minutes with a spin attack that beheaded the pumpkin-topped straw figure.

Link turned to the children, tossing his sweaty blonde locks from his face, only to see that something else had now grabbed their attention. As if by cue, one of the monkeys Talo had earlier referred to know graced the entrance of the Faron Woods. At the sight of people, however, it turned quickly to dive once again into the wood, its tiny grey body bobbing back and forth gracefully.

"C'mere you monkey!" screamed Talo, racing after it with his own lanky stick. Malo and Beth followed him soon after he had disappeared. Colin on the other hand, who had been watching from Epona's side near Link's house, merely shrunk back, unsure.

Colin reminded Link of his mother, Uli, fair-haired, a thin frame. He owned an equally kind heart, but when dangerous situations arose, one usually found the boy hiding or calling for help, unsure of his own abilites. The village children teased him on most occasions and always found his follow-the-rules attiude confining. This time, Link was here to help.

Securing the fastest way for pursuing them, Link mounted Epona and sprung after them.

The woods were becoming dangerous….

===============

Keeping track of the childrens' whereabouts turned out as no difficult task. Link crossed paths with Beth soon, and Malo thereafter, both indicating that Talo had gone into the deeper reaches of the wood. Grunting in frustration at the boy, Link called Epona around and they sped across the connecting bridge. Best find him before he gets into trouble.

Epona guided Link cautiously through the wood, listening intently to every critter and crackle that sounded. Her master bowed low to escape the reaches of a low-lying branch, and he peered into the distance, seeing nothing yet that sparked the image of Talo. How far has he gone in? Link wondered. I hope he's all right….

Just then Epona stamped her hooves into the ground and tossed her mane, nearly launching him off her back. "Whoa, Epona," calmed Link, pulling her reins back to guide her away from a fenced opening. "Shh, girl."

He scrutinized the opening carefully, as he slunk down from the saddle, patting Epona's coat. It was a cave entrance … dark. He peered closer, trying discern any sign of Talo through the shield of black. Just then, however, a finger tapped him on the back; Epona neighed.

Link twisted about quickly drawing his makeshift sword and pointing it at the tiny man that stood before him. The bony man looked up at Link, past the sword. The weapon did not frighten him in the least. A pleasant, trusting little man, with dark hair that stood taller than his head. Cleary, he was a woodland resident. There were only few that made their homes within Faron. Most never emerged, living off what the forest offered them. Those who had left Ordon in the past to traverse the wood never returned. They had either moved on to Hyrule and lands beyond, taken up residence in Faron, or...

"Hello, Ordonian boy! What brings you here? Not going in there are you?" he asked.

"Yes, in fact," corrected Link, his face stern.

"Well, even though it's daylight, you shouldn't wonder about in there without a lantern. And beyond this, there are many other places that are dark in the middle of the day," the odd, disproportioned man said. Then a sly grin lit his face in dimples. "Coro is feeling generous today. Here," he offered, "take this with you."

Link accepted the gift and watched as Coro disappeared around a line of trees. He shouted back, "If you ever run out of oil, just come by and see me again, okay?"

Link threw his curious stare toward Epona, who seemed to reflect his perception of the odd little man. But, shrugging his shoulders, Link brought forth a flame from the candle. "Just wait here, Epona," ordered Link, and he raised his sword before him and journeyed into the darkness.

Shadows engulfed him.

Fumbling, Link waded into the dark cavern as if the shadows were the resulting tides of a tempest at sea. The lantern provided his sight with only the vaguest outlines of objects far from him. Even the light that spread upon the grass and rocky walls aside him was not enough to stop his eyes from involuntarily squinting. At least, however, he could distinguish the path before him.

A few long moments drew out as he tumbled cautiously into the narrow semi-darkness, until his foot discovered something hidden amongst the tall vines and moist grass. He crouched low to investigate. Picking up the tool he had nearly tripped over, he held the lantern close and realized its shape. "Talo's play sword…." The little stick had broken near the middle and the sight of its splintered edges sent a shrill warning through Link. "I hope he's all right."

Just then, Link heard a strange noise coming from above him. He raised his vision just in time to swat back a pair of bat-like keese. Rising quickly, Link leapt forward, leaving Talo's toy behind, and took up a defensive stance as the now angered critters launched themselves at him. To avoid their fangs, Link backed up as he slapped them hard with a twist of his sword. They landed motionless on the ground.

Link, however, landed on an open doorway, but the air would not release him. "What the…?" Yet when he cocked his lantern ever so slightly, he realized the glistening silk that laced the entrance within which he was now tangled. To make things worse, the owner of the trap began to descend down to face Link directly.

The spider, in comparison, was only a little smaller than the size of his fist, but the sight of it still made Link cringe. He knew not to struggle in a spider's ambush, so he was left with only one option. His only free arm was that which held the lantern, and though he was unsure if he could transfer its flame to the spider, he smacked back the insect with the side of the device. The wed attached to its rear snapped as it swung back, but it retaliated by skittering up to Link faster than he could blink. Luckily, however, Link's foot had not yet been ensnared by the web, and he stomped upon the large bug before it could reach him.

Sighing in relief Link turned his thoughts back to his original predicament. Now the hard part.

===============

After what seemed hours, Link had finally been able to work his clothes and hair free of the spider's silk. He did not bother himself with the few strands of tangled white that dangled at all angles from his now dusty locks. Shaking himself like a dog shakes loose of water after a swim, Link returned to his task of finding Talo, by locating another path through which the child may have gone. To his right the route continued. Link breathed deep, took one step into the constricted corridor, and marched on.

Once in the open spaces of the wood again, Link stopped a moment to gather his breath, which the cave had nearly sucked out of him completely with its narrow passages and darkened hazards. He was reminded why he only entered the woods when having a weapon and why Rusl had always told him to avoid the caves whenever possible. Yet Link could not hide the fact that the rush he received from adventure and toil, surviving obstacles, was satisfying. He erased the small grin that the thought had prodded to his lips.

Before him lay the swamp-like area that usually crawled with all sorts of interesting creatures. Not eager to greet those nagging critters, Link spotted a safer route, a path outside the bounds of the depressed, musty trench. He took to that road, after smothering the lantern's flame with the tips of his fingers and lacing its handle to his belted sashes.

When he had finally tracked his way around the swamp, Link faced an open area. Though, it was still quite dim, as Coro had pointed out to him. The thick canopies of the surrounding plant life shielded most of the sun from the vegetation, but Link could see well enough without the aid of his lantern.

He continued on to the edge of the clearing, noticing that the edge was a sheer drop-off that led to a much lower area of the woods from which gigantic trees sprouted upward to amazing heights, becoming one with the clearing, the many thick branches seeming to fuse each trunk together. Link realized he stood upon a rock face which only appeared to be solid plant growth do to the build up of vines and mosses and fungi across its face.

He heard a shriek in the distance, and after a few swift moments of searching, Link found Talo hanging from a broken piece of a bough across the chasm of giants. Link followed the branch with his eyes back to the clearing and shot straight for its tip. He carefully adjusted his weight upon the massive wood and began stepping toward Talo's location.

When Link approached the boy, he crouched to his knees and offered out a hand to Talo. He latched onto it gratefully, and Link pulled him up onto the monstrous log. Heaving in relief, Talo sat next to Link with a solemn expression, refusing to look at his rescuer for some time. Link waited patiently, curling his legs together and looking out across land. He found a certain beauty in its clouded mystery and menace.

Finally, Talo said, "Thanks." He looked up to see that Link had looked to him then, his gaze unreadable. "If you hadn't followed me, I coulda been in a real mess. That monkey I was chasing … she went through there, and well, I kinda tripped up."

Link looked to where Talo pointed, noticing the trunk of this tree was obviously, in some respect, hollowed. The only entrance had been barred shut with thin branches that had been broken off. Only a tiny entrance at its bottom remained open. Link was curious to explore its secrets, but turned back to Talo when he again spoke.

"You're not gonna mention this to my dad, are you?" he asked. "He's always saying how it's dangerous in the woods, and I shouldn't ever go in." Talo shifted, then pleaded, "Don't tell him! You have to promise!"

"I think we need to worry about finding our way back first," said Link after a pause. "Come on; let's go." Though reluctant to move before hearing Link confirm that he would not mention the incident to his parents, Talo rose alongside Link, and they carefully navigated their way back across the bough.

Link looked back for an instant, trying to see inside the hollow. Disappointed, he nodded. When I return from Hyrule then...


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Delays**

By the time Link and Talo emerged from the dark cave unharmed, evening had set into the skies, the purple shadows contrasting mightily with the streaks of orange and red. A painting in the heavens.

Link choked the flame of his lantern once more, suspended it against his sashes, and stepped up to Epona. Though she now sat calmly, he could still feel an edge of tenseness in her muscles. He called her up and took hold of her reins, and he, Epona, and Talo began the last of their journey back to Ordon.

===============

When they were in sight of the outskirts of the village, Talo looked to Link in thanks again before running off. Link merely shook his head. _You owe me one_.

"Link!" Coming up another trail of the woods, Rusl approached him. "My son told me that you all had disappeared into the wood and not returned," he said. He looked to the retreating shadow of Jaggle's eldest. "But it appears you were successful in bringing the children back safely." A grim expression then passed over his visage and he fingered his beard. "Really, such a task should not have fallen to you."

"I could not have just done nothing…." protested Link. "The woods are—"

"Ah, so you have noticed how strange the wood is lately. I, too, have felt it," said Rusl in a strange octave. "I feel uneasy about what may lie in wait." The blacksmith fell into a blank gaze and stiff pose then, thinking quietly. When Link felt prodded to say something, however, the eerie moment had already passed, and Rusl again looked at him with a bright stare. "Come then. Tomorrow you embark on your journey toward Hyrule!"

Link forced a smile to smudge his countenance, yet inwardly, he doted on the thoughts Rusl had spoken aloud about the forest. What _did_ lie in wait ... lurking?

===============

The following morning Link helped in herding the goats on the ranch to their barn, and for fun, the young wrangler and his horse practiced in jumping the high fences that sectioned off the different fields. They wanted to be prepared for anything that might cross their path on the route to the castle.

Yet the merriment came to an end when the rancher's voice called to them, "Hey, Link! That's about it for the day. You better be off to the mayor then!"

Link tugged on Epona's reins and dug in his heels, and Epona launched them down the path toward the mayor's house, leaving a gust of dirt behind them.

The mayor's house was the first house along the village trail, and Link was immediately met by Ilia. His stomach turned uncomfortably, as she called back for her father and then looked up at him. When he dismounted Epona and turned to face the mayor, he found Ilia right next to him. Link stepped away from her to speak to her father, unsure why he could not bear to be so close to her. It made his stomach jolt in a river of a million gushing currents. "The royal gift is in Rusl's house; I'd like you to get your things together for your journey to Hyrule Castle. I don't want you to be late, all right, lad?"

Link nodded, and as he turned about to mount Epona, he stopped short. Ilia patted her mane, as she spoke to her, "The path is a long one; bear Link safely." And just as she was about to say her farewells to Link, she noticed a spot on Epona's coat a red brighter than her natural color. "Oh, what...? Oh, Link! She's injured!" Then she rounded on Link, stepping closer and closer with every word until he had to arch away to escape her fury, "You were pushing her too hard again, I bet! Hurt her leg jumping fences, I wager!"

"Now, Ilia," tried the mayor.

"Father! Don't be so easy on him!" spat Ilia, and she shook her head, and returned to Epona, "You poor thing…."

Link and the mayor took the moment to sneak a look at one another then, each questioning the other of her behavior. But the instant soon turned to disaster for the mayor when they heard Ilia say, "Don't you worry. I'll take you to the spirit spring and you'll feel better in no time."

Ilia took hold of her reins and guided the horse past the two dumbfounded men, who stared on in disbelief. She was halfway across the village when her father finally called out to her, "Wait! Ilia! Without Epona the gift won't be delivered in time!" But Ilia continued on her way.

"Oh, this won't do at all…." The mayor turned to Link. "Maybe you should follow her and see if you can't get her back."

Link nodded, "Don't worry." He sounded confident, but on the inside, he questioned Ilia. _What is it with her? Is it just that she likes Epona, or_…? His thoughts and feelings about Ilia confused him. He could not understand what it was he felt whenever he thought of her or whenever she was around.

Whatever it was, though, it would have to wait. He had a gift to deliver, and he wasted no time in pursuing Ilia. The morning was wearing on and he needed to be on his way to Hyrule within the hour. He would stop at nothing of the stubbornness of Ilia until he repossessed his beauteous creature.

As he approached his house on the fringes of Ordon village, he saw Colin curled up in what looked a rather unpleasant state of mind. His back leaning again the ladder that rose up to Link's tree hovel, a grim line creased his mouth. He looked up as he heard Link approach, but he still seemed dejected.

"Link, are you … going to see Ilia?" the boy asked.

A movement caught Link's attention, and he turned partway to see Malo and Talo blocking the path that lead into the woods. Their skin was taught about their lips, obviously displeased about something. "Oh, I see," was Link's only comment. _He just can't be grateful that he's alive_? Link finished in the secrecy of his thoughts. _What's going on now?_

"Yes," he then affirmed. "I'm going to see Ilia."

"Oh," Colin's face brightened a shade. "D'you think you and I could go see her together?"

Link could not help a smile. "Come on." They headed toward Talo and Malo and were immediately stopped as Talo shot at Colin, "Way to spoil everything yesterday by telling your dad!"

"Yeah, we got scolded by our dad, and I thought it would never end," added Malo furiously.

"You want to see Ilia, don't you?" questioned Talo. "Well, no way I'll let you by!"

"Talo," said Link in a cautioning tone, brow raised as he crossed his arms.

"I know, let me borrow your sword. I could've handled myself better had I had it yesterday. Then I'll let you guys through," negotiated Talo.

Of course, Link could have refused and bypassed their frail blockade, but to satisfy the young boy, he removed the wooden sword from its backside lacings. He handed it to Talo, who then jumped with excitement only to then sprint off toward a repaired scarecrow with his younger brother to play with the new sword. Link watched them from the road for a few minutes, until Colin looked up at him with admiring eyes.

"Thanks," he said in a small voice. "Those guys, they're always teasing me…. What's so fun about swinging a sword around? It's scary. I hate it. But on the other hand," continued Colin in a prouder voice, "when I grow up, I want to be just like you! I mean … I don't want to learn about swords, but … could you teach me how to ride a horse sometime?"

Link admired his warm attitude and inclined his head. He liked seeing the younger kids happy, and he felt a certain pride in knowing that Colin looked up to him. It also forced him to be sure of his tactics before he took action. He did not want to give Colin any negative impressions or influences.

But putting his pleasure aside, he started off to catch up with Colin, who had raced off after Link had assured his future lessons.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Into the Twilight**

As he came to the entrance of the spirit spring, a barricade in the form of a locked fence startled Link to a sudden halt. What? Oh, she must really be angry with me…. On the opposite side of the division, he could clearly see three figures. Two were Ilia and Epona. The third caught him off guard. _Wait…. How did Colin get in there_? It almost made his fury spring forward, but he halted it.

Stumbling over a way to circumvent the barrier, Ilia spotted him, and gruffly called out, "If you've come for Epona, you can forget it! Think about what you've done. I won't open the gate!"

Link held fast to one of the bars that separated him from his horse and hung his head. How would he convince her that her judgment was misplaced? That he hadn't hurt Epona on intention by jumping fences this morning. He knew the injury must've taken place in Faron the other day, for the shrubbery had nestled them closely through the paths. He scolded himself for not checking her over before he had gone to bed last night.

"Link, don't worry," he heard. Colin. Link peered through the vertical slats. "I'll explain your bravery of yesterday with Talo and the monkey. I don't know if she'll listen, but ... see that tunnel in the hillside over there? Talo and Malo made it last year. It leads into here."

Link looked to the small opening near the ground, and before departing he nodded his thanks.

He knelt down in the dirt and examined the threshold. It was stable, obviously hollowed out by the children with the passage so small. Yet, it provided him with the only possibility of entering the spring while Ilia guarded it. Inhaling a bit of fresh air, he plunged into its narrow depths on all fours.

Once out on the other side of the tunnel, he dusted his clothes from the accumulated dirt. He overhead the end of Colin and Ilia's conversation. "I hadn't heard the details of Talo's peril or Epona's part in it," Ilia was saying in a shocked voice. "But—" She then noticed Link's presence, and turned toward Epona, who tossed her mane merrily at the sight of him. "You still prefer your master over me?" she asked kindly. She turned a gentle smile toward Link. "Don't worry. Fortunately, the injury wasn't serious. You two will be able to go on together." It was obvious that Colin's explanation had calmed her, offered Link back into her graces.

Link started to approach.

"But, Link," added Ilia; he stopped before her. "Can you at least promise me this? No matter what happens on your journey, don't try to do anything … out of your league. Please." Her verdant eyes sparkled with the utmost care, and Link could see within her the fear that she carried for his well being. It was heartwarming to know that someone felt so much compassion for him. The words voiced by her made it all the more pleasant. He felt his stomach lurch again when she leapt out and embraced him. "Just come home safely, all right?"

Her grip on him tightened and compelled him to hold her so that he could reassure her of this promise. And holding her felt so right to him. And the sinking feeling in his stomach had at last subsided….

The sweet moment, however, suddenly ended. All about them they felt the ground quake and saw the water splash. The vibrations were met with the shattering rupture of the fence, and moblin creatures astride mighty boar-like monsters crashed into the spring where they had been saying their farewells.

Epona reared and tossed about the small spring; Colin and Ilia tried to escape in the same direction, but Link already had been cut off from them, as two moblins attacked the group simultaneously. Desparately, he tried to circle around them but with every step he was kept back from them . One steadied a bow and sent a shaft whirling toward Ilia, which caught her in the back.

Link saw her bloodied flesh, called out to her, raced toward her...

But the other raised a club above Link as he dashed toward Ilia. The brutish weapon struck him flatly on the back of the head. Link tumbled into the water, motionless.

As the moblins jumped from their steed and grabbed up Ilia and the boy, their leader entered the spirit spring. The green beast atop a massive armored boar looked about. Once sure that they had broken into the correct location, he took from his pack a horn and blew an eerie tune through its wind tunnel.

In the sky above, a strange, dark portal materialized, and the leader grinned evilly. He called to his comrades, yanked on the reins of his own steed, and departed from the scene, as a dark haze drew up about the spring.

Minutes after their abrupt disappearance, Link stirred in the water. He woke to a panging headache. As he sat upright, he felt his forehead pulse along with the beats of his heart. _What … happened_…? For a moment he could not recall anything, but then the memory of the intrusion shot back to his thoughts. Alarmed, Link stood quickly, ignoring his dizziness. When he looked about for any sign of the others, he noticed that they had all vanished. Only he remained.

He ran in the direction from where the creatures had first broken upon their small farewell. Along the trail, he noticed deep marks in the unsettled soil. Fresh tracks. At least from this he could ascertain that he had not long been unconscious. Hopefully, with enough speed, he would be able to overtake them.

That thought in mind, Link dashed straight across the bridge that towered above a large chasm in the wood. Yet when he turned the next bend in the path….

With a grunt he dug his heels into the dirt so that he could stop. Directly before him stretched a colossal barrier that rose high into the heavens, and an eerie orange and lavender glow emanated from its form out into the clouds. Its mass extended as far as he could see to both his right and left, covering any means of an alternate route to detour around it. Strange crimson markings speckled the blackness for miles. Link stared at it in agonized wonder. How would he ever save his friends now? Was it safe to touch?

As Link vigilantly approached the obstruction with slow, even steps, he saw a waver in the field. Then, rapidly, an eccentric looking appendage shot out from behind the opaque omen, latching onto Link by the neck. He struggled to gain his freedom then screamed as he was jerked toward the darkness.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: A Dark Transformation**

The glowing darkness bolted into his eyes painfully. He was not used to such a splattered spectrum of light, semi-shadowed and quite luminous in the brighter areas. Yet perhaps his focus hazed due to the hand that gripped his neck, causing him to gasp for air. He struggled as the long sticky fingers throttled him unknowingly in its inspection of him. The face, or at least what Link thought resembled the face, came closer to his as if to peer into his eyes, yet there were none that mirrored Link's reflection. Its hair was long black tentacles that hung down from the back of its crest-like head.

Link raised a hand to the beast's fingers, attempting to pry the coils from his neck, and as he did so, his hand began to burn with new life as it had done so just days ago. A piercing light shown from it for a fraction of an instant, and the dark hand released him and scampered off in an uneven walk.

Link fell hard to the ground, yet relieved that the monster had freed him. He choked in new air, and with it, his life restored. He looked around from his place on the ground, noticing similarities of this woodland to that of Faron. It looked so much like Ordon's forested neighbor, only a new haze lining its life. He then realized ... he was in Faron. But this darkness ... why ... how...?

He began to push himself up to search for any source of Faron's new state, but a thunderous pain seared his hind legs, an agony that spread like fire in a thicket up his spine to span out to the rest of his nerves. He felt his heartbeat pulse in a rhythmic beating, which deepened his anguish. He faltered, his hands barely holding him up. The pain filtered out from the nerves in his appendages to his very bones. A crackling within forced pained grunts from him, as he felt his legs breaking under an invisible pressure. It was as if a boulder had suddenly landed upon him and was slowly rolling overtop him, reshaping his body in grotesque ways. The throbbing continued and intensified at the feeling of his very jaw bones stretching and cracking. Unable to acknowledge what was happening and unable to bear the suffering any longer, he cried out in a raucous shriek and fell into stillness.

The symbol upon his hand faded and was as if it had never marked him.

Out of sight high upon a rocky ledge, a small imp looked on as he was dragged away by the creature that had first yanked him into the shadows….

===============

When Link awoke he spied cornering grey walls, and as he searched about him, he discovered that these ominous walls and barred entrance encased him. Frightened and unknowing of what was happening to him, he moved to search for a way out.

But he felt himself restricted to only a small area of the cage, and looking to see what bound him, he found a chain slithering from the floor to a bolted shackle upon his wrist. A wrist he realized to be inhuman. Shocked, he looked over his hands and body and saw his shape transformed. Near to the birth of the chain, he saw a puddle of collected water and looked into its mirror only to see his figure misshapen at the head as well.

Long fangs and a bright coat of silver, black, and white stunned him. His blue eyes remained, but they had grown more intense and savage. His nose had been molded into a long snout, with strange markings adorning his forehead. Unsure and afraid, Link confirmed that he had been reformed into a beastly wolf. He tried to call out, but all that met his fuzzy, pointed ears was a bark which echoed off the dank walls.

At first, Link cowered, fearful of what other sorcery would befall him next. He was in a strange new world, his past existence erased. The only trace that he had once been Link was due to the remaining blue earrings that adorned his ears. He could feel the new power behind his piercing blue eyes, the intensity in which they could now view his surroundings. He still felt the buring edge that had plagued his bones upon his initial transformation into his beastial form. The simmer would not leave him; it was a constant itch that he could not banish.

But when he heard the whimper of his lupine form, he snapped together and, taking it within his sharp teeth, wrestled with the chain that confined him to the small area. He had to escape from this strange new reality.

He heard something then, and looked into a corner of the cell. An odd, short figure approached him, feet hovering above the floor. Its head was large and embellished with an eccentric headpiece, long pointy ears jutted out from its face. Long yellow and orange colored hair dripped from the piece, tied together near the end with a strange grey pin. Its one large yellow and red eye was narrowed as it looked onto him; the other was hidden underneath the headdress. Suddenly, the eye popped open and a smile stretched across its face, one jagged fang poking out of its mouth.

The small body, splotched with white and black designs and decorated with glowing green markings, suddenly came to life and hopped over Link to stand on his opposite side. "I found you!" it said in a strange cracking voice, but oddly, he could understand it. He growled at it. "Oh, aren't you scary," it sneered. Crossing its arms, it continued, "Are you sure you want to be doing that? Snarling and glaring at me?" Link continued and backed away as far as he could. "Well, that's too bad. I was planning on helping you … if you were nice, that is."

At that, Link stopped glaring at it and perked up. He did not care what this creature was. He did need help, for could not comprehend anything that had taken place. Maybe it could prove to be useful.

"Ah, that's better," it said, still smiling slyly. "You humans are obedient to a fault, aren't you? Oh, but wait," it added, patting his chin, "you _aren't_ a human anymore. You're a _beast_!"

Link barked and snapped at her tiny hand, but she only leapt back, laughing in a girlish chuckle. "There, there. You be a good boy and calm down. No need to bite." Then she brought her hands before her. Concentrating, she conjured a glowing black and red ball of energy. With a flick of her wrists, the ball dispersed in a pop of crimson light, and the chain that held Link in place snapped from the shackle. This caught Link of guard, and he looked in amazement to his freed paw.

"You look kind of surprised!" the little creature said, dipping her head before him. Then she leapt away again, hovering back toward the bars. "So, I bet you're wondering where exactly you are…." Bubbles of dark and green and orange surrounded her body, and in a twirl she propelled herself directly through the beams. She looked at him from beyond, "I'll make you a deal. If you can get over here, maybe I'll tell you!" Laughter reverberated.

Looking around, he could not find any route to the other side. But then he drew his gaze back toward a pile of crates and hay. There was something odd that drew him to that spot. He examined it closer and tossed the crates out of the way. Behind their bundle he found a spot where the previous captive of the cell must have dug his way out. Taking advantage of this, he slouched and struggled through the manmade indention.

Once on the opposite side, he heard pleased laughter as he shook his coat free of dirt. Next, he felt the creature land upon his backside, and he circled around trying to toss her off. "I guess you're not completely stupid after all!" she congratulated. This remark made Link cease in his movements, growling. "Listen," she calmed in a crude voice, "I like you, so I think I'll get you out of here." Surprisingly then, she grabbed his ear. "But in exchange for my help, you have to do exactly as I say!"

He shook himself free, grunting. He did not know where he was, so he knew he would need her help. Reluctantly, he barked in agreement.

"Good! Then let's get moving!"


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: The Shadowed Face**

It was not long until the pair had moved beyond the dungeon and discovered a way into the sewers. Yet when Link leapt into the waters below them, he backed into the furthest wall … away from all the glowing green lights. Their presence perplexed him, and though he wanted to sniff the odd bubble of brightness, the very thought of sniffing frightened him. Would he ever become human once more? And if he did ... would he still be keen on these wolfish characteristics?

"Oh, well. This is interesting, eh?" the tiny creature upon him spoke out, knowing full well that Link was at this moment even more confused and bothered by the state of things. "Don't resist what your new body would have you do. Take a whiff why don't you!" she spat.

A growl snapped her way from her steed, but after a moment of vigilance, Link was assured that the hovering light would not surprise him with any strange movements. Adhering to his companion's advice, he lifted his snout to the blinding specks. As soon as he did so, catching a faint scent of a human, he could see an outline similar to that of a Hylian guard. Shocked at what he could see in his four-legged form, Link almost snapped backward … yet his curiosity won him out. Quietly, he looked over the knight, and in that moment, Link again was surprised, to hear the man mumbling. "I can't run any … farther. I'll be safe here…. Yes, I'll be safe…. I think."

Link barked at him, but there was no response, as the soldier sat with his back to the wall, shaking in the unnerving silence. Only the racing water of grime could be heard. With a questioning expression, Link looked to the black imp upon him. She had no trouble reading his wolfish face. "That is a soldier's spirit. Maybe it's someone from the other world?" Her little giggle provoked a narrowed eye of suppressed frustration from Link, feeling that she was keeping something from him upon intension.

"Shall we move on then?" she grinned and prodded him. Shaking her finger from his beautiful coat, he leapt into the shallow septic waters.

===============

After nearly an hour of traversing the murky water of the castle sewer, the couple came to a large room with ascending stone stairs which were carved out from the curved wall. It seemed to stretch up to the heavens, yet the stairwell was visibly broken in many places. "Well, you'll have to climb it, now won't you, beastie? Get on with it!" his partner commanded.

Growling, Link pulled himself in the direction of the first step. With his weight, eight steps collapsed in sequence and exploded in a whirl of dust at the bottom of the pit. "Oh! Do I have to do everything?" With a flick of her hands, and a quick jolting nod of her head, the pair dissipated and then reappeared higher up the stones. Link blinked as he looked over the stones, which owned only traces of a railing. Below were many spirals of the stairs. He looked to the imp. "I'm sure you can handle the rest, then?" she pointed with an exaggerated wave of her arm. He looked ahead to see that only a few meters of raised stones remained. With a frustrated bark, Link moved on into the chamber ahead.

Above him towered a hollowed cavern-like room. It seemed oddly large to only hold the existence of a door and a few windows. The door had apparently been blown open from a massive gust of wind. Link followed the crumbling stones to emerge outside. All around him towers shot upward, catwalks connected every piece of stone. It was as if a city itself, built of ancient stone in a time long gone by. Etched in a stone high above on one of the tower's archways appeared the symbol that had long plagued Link's hand since he could remember. Shock absorbed him, but he didn't let the creature notice.

"Ah, finally outside. Oh, and just look at the sky! Isn't the black cloud of twilight looking beautiful today?" she asked. "Know where you are yet?" Link looked at her blankly. "Oh well. Look, there's someone I want to introduce you to, so I'll need you to go to that tower," she pointed. Link followed her finger and memorized the location, for the rooftops of this massive place seemed a maze to his eyes. With that, the imp fell quiet, and Link started off across the windblown catwalks of what appeared to be ... a massive castle.

===============

When at last Link and his little companion reached the other side of the treacherous catwalks, a tiny black hand pointed to an open window sill of a tower nearby. Link grunted his way up the craggy rock-faced structure. His footing faltered on the jagged pieces a few times, forcing him to quickly readjust the pressure he applied to each of his paws. Walking on all fours was still strange enough to him, but now he had to learn to climb with them as well. Which ... wasn't all that difficult. It was like instinct, as if he had been this way for years.

At last, he climbed over the sill and leapt into the circling stairwell below. He ascended the steps cautiously, only the light from the cracked window guiding him. However, it surprised him how well he could see in the dark spots.

At the top of the stairs there loomed a gigantic doorway. Upon the closed threshold lay a wooden plank, and before he could act, his partner had already lifted a finger and broken the bark to mere splinters. She only cornered him with that sneering grin then looked away, expectant. Ruffling his fur a bit, hoping to agitate her, he waddled forward, pushing past the giant doors.

The room beyond was rather large, bed at one corner and a small table holding a wasted meal in another. A patch of the wall had two identical windows carved into it, though; they remain unopened, obviously sealed by some invisible protection. Before the rain-stained glass stood an unwavering form. Its straight figure undoubtedly named it human of sorts, however, a hooded mantle sheltered its identity; a splatter of white embroidery decorated the shoulders and back.

Sniffing a taste of wickedness about this room, Link growled at the figure, unknowing that his partner found a certain humor to his actions. At the sound of an echoing giggle, the hooded figure turned swiftly about to look upon them. Link could barely see a nose and mouth. A darkness splayed across its eyes. Yet with a small gasp from the hood, Link identified its gender as female. At this, he perked up, his snarling visage erased. Captivated, he moved forward to try to gain a better look. The creature rolled her eyes in amusement.

"…Midna?" a feminine voice spoke from beyond the black veil. Her voice was as pure as the hymns Link had heard as an infant. Realizing that the voice spoke to the one he carried, he looked back at her and set the name to her likeness. Yes, the name seemed to fit.

"You remembered my name?" laughed Midna. "What an honor for me."

The figure shifted, and Link looked back to her and felt her eyes staring into his, even though he still could not distinguish them from beyond her shadowed face. "So, this is the one for whom you were searching," she said aloud.

Midna pawed at her lips. "Not exactly what I had in mind … but I guess he'll do."

It was in that moment, that silence overtook them. The figure crouched before Link, and he followed her face, trying to blink back the darkness from her features.

Suddenly, her fair voice broke the quiet. "You were imprisoned?" Link looked to his hand—paw—to acknowledge the chain to which she referred. "I am sorry," she said after a long moment of contemplation.

His backside partner shattered the solemn calm about them. "Poor thing," her cynical voice echoed. "He has no idea where this is, or what's happened. So, don't you think you should explain to him what you've managed to do? You owe him that much." She lowered her head, making her eye glow within the darkness. A sparkle prickled the air from her red and yellow socket. "Twilight Princess." The name rang with Midna's crude giggle.

The figure slouched then, as if remembering why everything had been shrouded by darkness within the swiftest moment. Link heard her sigh, yet then, she lifted her head to him again. Her voice had broken free of its soft notes and become an octave of importance. "Listen carefully." She took a breath, gathering her memories. "This was once the land where the power of the gods was said to slumber. This was once the kingdom of Hyrule. But that blessed kingdom has been transformed by the king that rules the twilight. It has been turned into a world of shadows ... ruled by creatures who shun the light."

She then recollected the events that had led up to the fall of the kingdom, how one dark day the king of the twilight had laid siege to the castle of Hyrule. "Out of a cloud of smoke, the monsters came at the army with brutal force. The proud knights of Hyrule were no match for their wickedness. It was in that moment, when the army was all but defeated, that the ruler of the twilight—with two shadow guards—came before the princess of the kingdom. He left her with a painful decision. The kingdom could surrender to the will of his reign or all the people of the land would suffer death. Faced with this decision, the princess did the only thing she could…. She laid down her sword to him….

"It was in that moment that twilight began to cover Hyrule like a shroud, and without light, the people became as spirits. Yet within the twilight, they live on, unaware that they have passed into spirit forms. All the people know now is fear. Fear of a nameless evil…."

Throughout her dreary reminiscence, she had once again turned to the window, and had stolen away into quietness. She shook free of her thoughts and again looked to Link. Without fear and in resolute honesty, she declared, "The kingdom succumbed to twilight, but I remain its princess." Her hands lifted to the hood, and in the motion, the sleeves of her mantle slid back to reveal beautifully patterned white gloves the length of her arms. She tossed back the shadows from her face and shook her head free of the static that still ate at her gorgeous blonde locks, sparkling golden crown, and dangling earrings that reflected the image of Link's birth mark. Link stared up at her beauty in complete awe, so much so that Midna nearly tumbled off and had to snatch his fur to remain aloft.

The woman's cheeks seemed to glow in contrast to the surrounding darkness, and her blue eyes gazed down into his own. "I am Zelda."

Midna tilted her head. "You don't have to look so sad," she said in a tone unusual to her. Yet to amend her soft gentleness, she said, hands behind her head, "We actually find it to be quite livable! I mean, is perpetual twilight really all that bad?"

"Midna, this is no time for levity. The shadow beasts have been searching far and wide for you. Why is this?" the princess asked.

Midna popped up from Link's backside and hovered with her back to them in a moment of thoughtfulness, yet it was clear that no answer from her would be straightforward. Zelda patiently waited.

"Why indeed?" she giggled. "You tell me."

Zelda shifted, accepting her cryptic reply. "Time has grown short," she said to Link. "The guard will soon make his rounds. You must leave here. Quickly." With that, the princess turned back to the windows and stared blankly into the twilight beyond and the bobbing orbs of green light traveling the streets of the town below. It was in that moment that Link saw the light in her eyes dim; the sparkles within them were merely reflections of what had become of her citizens ... because of her.


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: The Shade**

Link had resolved to return to Ordon Village before setting out on his adventure. Firstly, it would be necessary to acquire the lantern that had once been gifted to him, for he did not know into what corners of darkness his journey would propel him. Secondly, he wanted to see the village with his own eyes. He needed to see the destruction he had caused within Uli's home. And though, he would spare her the truth, he felt obligated to reassure her.

Along the path back into the village, the only audible noise came from the soles of his new boots, boots once worn by some other hero of some other time. The feeling of feet pressing against the inside of the leather material conjured deep emotions within him. Pride and fear. He realized his fright came from the doubt he could fill these boots, afraid that, though he was proud to have been bestowed such an honor, he would not be able to live up to such a name.

He found himself watching his steps as he walked, pondering where his new boots had been in another lifetime. What adventures had these shoes shaped? What distant places had they seen? The thought made Link stop in his tracks. He broke his gaze from their polished leather, and he looked up toward the sky. Dawn had broken upon the horizon. His nightmare had truly ended.

It was then that he realized his time as a beast had only taken up one night of his life. How it had seemed so much longer, a lifetime. He breathed in deeply. Relief washed over him anew. A calm, slight smile spread over his lips. Again he looked to his fingers, his human hand. From all the wickedness that had broken into his life, it had all been worth it … to realize he was of some greater destiny, that he could change things for the better.

All his life … he had felt the pull of adventure … to leave the woodland of Faron.

He fell away from the display of blue sky and dotted whiteness above and took up pace again toward his village.

===============

A strange quiet murmured through Ordon as he stepped into town, and he stopped. He could feel terror still coursing throughout the veins of the ground beneath his feet. The birds and animals had also fallen into an eerie stillness. The numb frigidity of the surroundings fed into Link's body and his concern grew by the second. He pressed forward. He needed to know that the rest of the villagers were still safe, that no more had been taken.

He traversed the narrow dirt path leading up to Rusl's house, careful to watch the surrounding forest closely for any signs of lingering intruders. He could no longer trust the forest. He hardly trusted anything any longer. So many things had come to surprise him in his last night spent, and he had come to rely on the distrust of appearances. He did not even completely hold much dependence on his new partner, but their companionship was necessary. He would be glad when the day came to shed her from his life. For some reason, though he knew better of it, he wanted to blame her for everything.

Link came to the porch of his mentor's residence. It took him a few moments to build the courage to rap his knuckles against the wood, for the last time he had entered the dwelling, he had made such a wreck of things. But he bit his lip. Uli, Rusl … everyone … they did not know his secret identity. They did not know he had been a monster.

He knocked.

The door cracked open in the next moment, and Link saw Uli's face staring back at him. Uli, the only mother Link had ever known. A woman who had so graciously opened her home to a lost babe her young husband had so long ago brought into her life.

At first, she stopped all movement, disbelieving what her eyes offered her: the young man she thought had been stolen away with the others. Link wanted to comfort her, but nothing came. He simply peered into her eyes, eyes welling with tears of joy.

"You're … you're all right..." she murmured, reaching out shaking fingers to touch his breast. She felt the warmth of his skin and his beating heart through his new clothes. A small, motherly smile rose and faded as she drew back her hand. "Oh, I'm sorry, Link. Come in." She opened the door fully and allowed Link the space to enter her home. She shut the door behind him.

Link looked back at her, trying to find the words he wanted to say. It was she who spoke first, however. "We all thought … that you had been taken as well. It's so good to see you well. You are all right?"

He nodded. "Yes," his voice crackled.

"What happened to you?"

Link recounted what had taken place in the spring, the onslaught of the monsters, his attempts to stop them, and the painful blow to the back of his head. "By the time I awoke," Link was saying, "they'd disappeared. I couldn't find them anywhere." He realized it was the first time he had spoken since Ilia had been taken. His voice felt dry, as if his throat struggled to speak from being so accustomed to growling and barking. He hoped the feeling would pass in time.

Little Midna, basking in her hovel of his shadow, had listened intently to his story, not because she was at all interested in his words, but because this was the first time she had heard him speak. Since his humanity had been restored, he had refused to talk to her, and she anticipated that his reluctance might continue for some time. She was surprised how … _grown up_ he sounded, the deep resonance found in accomplished individuals but layered in the softness of carefree youth. What she found equally odd was his pattern of speech. Unlike the village people who were used to elongating vowels and drawing out certain sounds like there was no hurry to say what was on their minds, Link's words were quick and punctuated. She did notice, however, that he had taken on a few of the Ordonians' little habits, such as slurring certain words together when he got agitated or excited and the way his strong _th_'s seemed to make him entirely skip over any vowel directly following.

Uli had stood quiet, taking in his new appearance as he had explained what happened to her son.

Link gave her a moment before asking. "Where is Rusl?" He cringed, almost afraid of the answer. The last time he had seen the blacksmith had been the night previous when he had first emerged from the wood. Injuries had covered the length of him.

The light of the room drained from her eyes in that moment, one that jolted a sliver of concern in Link. Uli led him into the room from which he had stolen two items, the floor still slightly messy from his attack on the room.

As soon as Link crossed the threshold, he stopped, seeing the broken figure of his mentor splayed across the length of the bed in the corner. Bandages and blood lined his body. Link stepped up to the bedside of the semiconscious Rusl, who looked up to the youth, only slightly aware that he was there. "Link," he mumbled. "The children … the children. I looked..."

"Pergie and Sera were here earlier helping me tend to his wounds," said Uli, "but he still needs much rest if he is to recover." Link was glad to hear it. With her sons in constant mischief, Pergie was accustomed to treating wounds, and there was no better cook or potion maker in Ordon other than Sera. The three mothers who had lost their children…. Link was sure that just being with Pergie and Sera had been a comfort to his surrogate mother. It was not that Uli was weak, but she was sensitive and faced her fears in silent contemplation. Link had always admired the bravery of Uli. Throughout his youth he had grown perceptive of the look she would get in her eyes if a worry weighed on her mind. He would never come out and ask her trouble; rather, he found ways of making her remember how to smile.

Link looked back at her wet face. All the pain these monsters had caused her … it lit a fire within him that bounced against his insides and set his entire network of nerves ablaze. "I am going to search for them," he finally said. "I promise you, I will find them."

A smile overtook her face, the smile he hoped would come-the small gleam that always came when he had successfully cheered her mood-and its shine could have surpassed the dull gleam of any darkness.

Having nothing more to say, Link took a last look toward Rusl and turned for the door. However, it was then, as Uli watched him leave, that she noticed the items slung over his backside. "Oh, you found that wretched beast? The one who stole our precious gifts for Hyrule."

Link gritted his teeth. How could he have been so ignorant to walk into her home adorned with the very items he had stolen? But he resolved to further her deduction, and when he turned, he nodded. "Yes, I..."

"They will serve you well. Keep them," she said.

Link had not expected this reaction from her, but he did not argue against her wish. If he played along there would be less pain for the both of them.

"I will return," he promised, and after a silent moment where their locked gazes exchanged silent, unvoiced words … he left.

===============

When Link burst into his house, he wanted to simply sit down and think, but he knew he did not have the time. Deep within him, he did not want to leave time for his thoughts to wander, for it would only bring more pain. Ilia and the children and his horse were still missing, and it seemed he was the only one of the villagers-of all in Hyrule-that could withstand the harshness of Faron. The others either were too afraid to venture into its depths or those that did returned empty-handed with only wounds to commemorate their attempt.

He rushed down a breakfast of bread, water, and cheese. He then fingered through his many shelves to locate his lantern. Upon finding it he laced it quickly to his new belt. He also latched a small waterskin and a few pouches to the accessory after filling them with scraps of food for the journey.

Link took a last look around his small home, knowing that it would likely be some time before he laid eyes on it again. Without any final thoughts, he turned and stepped outside, shutting the door on everything familiar.

===============

Once again in the thick of the Wood, Link halted at the edge of the rickety bridge just before the bend in the trail beyond. He had made an effort to quiet his steps before he could see that path … the one he had taken twice on the painful journey into the twilight beyond. He had to keep telling himself that the darkness had subsided, that the twilight had been banished … that there would only be the wood past the turn. With a deep breath, he removed himself from the bridge and plunged into the curving path.

There he found no trace of the darkness that had lingered for what had seemed forever in a night. He had to sift deep into his memories to find any recollection of seeing the forest so appealing.

"What in all the Light Realm are you waiting for exactly?" came the demeaning voice now so very familiar to him. "Did you really think the twilight would still be here? You humans are so skittish."

He hated it when she chided him so harshly … scoffed at him for his human instincts and emotions. He presumed it would have been natural for anyone to have been apprehensive in returning to a place that had proved so traumatic. He washed off her remark and continued forward. He needed to keep reminding himself that this was her natural manner. It was her method of making him feel ignorant and out of place with her understanding of the realms and perhaps to cling to some notion that she was in charge of their partnership.

Onward he pressed, determined to put an end to the wickedness that the spirits and Princess Zelda had told him was spreading over Hyrule … even if one day he had to face such forces alone.

He quickly retraced his steps to the cave through which he had pursued Talo those few days ago. It was on the other side of the swampland that Link was sure he would find the temple of which Faron had spoken … in the trunk to which Talo had followed the monkey.

Link remembered the path through the narrow passage without fault, the light of his lantern leading him forward. He was sure to dodge the silk traps of the spiders and the easily angered keese population this time. Once on the other side, however, the swamp attacked his eyes. A purple mist ate at his membranes, poking forward traces of wetness due to the dull humidity of its hazy presence.

He tried stifling a few coughs by putting a forearm overtop his mouth, but to no avail. He squinted, extending the lantern before him. The light from its flame helped only slightly, like shining a bright light into a thick hanging fog. He tried to look for the outcropped trail to the side of the swamp, but upon finding it, he noticed that it, too, had not escaped the bog's new soiled breath. He would have to continue on into the thick of its existence.

From behind him then, a grey shape raced and leapt up to snatch his lantern straight from his grasp. Swiftly, it escaped Link's range only to stop abruptly at the edge of the slope, turning back to look at him with wide, invading eyes.

Midna leapt out of his shadow, arms folded across her tiny chest. Her one eye narrowed. "You idiot. You let that monkey steal off with your lantern," her menacing tone burst. "I hope you're happy with yourself!"

Before Link could make any move, she had again trapped herself within his dark counterpart upon the ground. With a mental shrug, Link propelled himself forward. Perhaps this monkey had some way of progressing through the swamp with its heightened animal instincts.

He approached the creature carefully, and as he did so it twirled about and waved the lantern out at the haze as if batting it away. What then occurred amazed Link. The mist actually slunk back momentarily by the flare within the tiny cage. Understanding, Link came alongside the critter, and they negotiated the swamp together as the little animal beat back the mist every so often. Link was sure that had the monkey not persisted in this action, they both would have been suffocated by the strange fog whenever it threatened to fold back in on itself.

At last, they had reached the far side of the dangerous swamp. The monkey immediately returned the lantern to Link by dropping it unceremoniously to his feet, the flame no more. _Should have taken Coro up on his offer before I left..._

When Link next looked up, he barely caught a glimpse of the monkey fading into the forest ahead. Quickly, he reattached the lantern to his belt as he followed in the creature's wake. Within seconds, Link again faced the clearing where he had rescued Talo above the chasm that stretched out into the farthest reaches of Faron.

He saw the tiny monkey far into the distance, creeping along the branch it had used to escape from Talo. Link pursued. However, sitting before the bough that connected the clearing to the trunk was a golden wolf. A white undercoat lined its furry chin, belly, and tail. Its left eye had been sewn shut by a scar, but its right-bright and blood red-bore into Link. It hunched over, growling at Link, who unsheathed his saber and lifted the shield onto his right forearm.

Link, ready to slay the fiend, was not prepared for what would truly happen. Within the next moment, the golden beast leapt out at him. Link blinked when he braced for the conclusion of its assault, ducking behind his defense. Yet, when he again opened his eyes, a vast ground of white grass and lightly tinted sky blinded him. Set in the distance, a castle rose from out of nowhere, but it was the only structure for miles in any direction.

Link could not make any sense of it, and Midna's voice-and shadow-remained still.

He heard panting behind him, and just as he turned to face the beast again, the golden creature transformed before his very eyes. Its body rose into a much larger form, dark armor plastering its skeletal form. Ancient symbols ornamented its waist cloth. A shield in its right hand, and a sword in the other, it gave Link a familiar feeling, as if he was supposed to know who this strange embodiment resembled. It armor's dull shine and rusted edges gave the impression that this spiritual form had long been dead. Its tarnished helm was fixed tightly upon its open skull. Only one eye seemed to have any life, its fierce redness attacking Link.

On instinct, Link raised his sword to it.

In turn … so did the ancient warrior.

Link pushed through his fear of the dark soldier and stepped carefully toward it. In the next second, he leapt at it and slashed out. Immediately, however, the figure assaulted Link's defense, throwing the youth to his back.

Link looked up into its blood eyes, intoxicated by fright. He was sure that its blade would pierce his heart in that moment.

But instead … the warrior spoke, taking a step back. "A sword wields no strength unless the hand that holds it has courage." By this, oddly, Link understood. The warrior was by no means his enemy.

Link picked himself up to again stand before the figure, however, this time, he stood unafraid, open-minded.

"You may be destined to become the hero of legend," the shade spoke, Link listening intently, "but your current power would disgrace the proud green of the hero's tunic you wear." Its voice, although rough through the passage of time, was strangely harmless in its harsh caliber. "You must use your courage to seek power and find it. Only then will you become the hero for whom this world despairs. If you do find true courage and you wish to save Hyrule from the horrors it now faces," it spoke, "then you will be worthy to receive the secrets I hold."

The shade shifted his position, slithering back from its close distance to Link. It followed its previous speech directly into a lesson of the blade. "Enemies that are strong will quickly recover and attack again even when stunned by a powerful strike. The ending blow is a technique you can use on stunned enemies to end their breath before they spring back into action. When there is opportunity to end their life … do not hesitate."

The soldier brought its shield against its body. "You will attempt this technique upon me."

Link did not hesitate, knowing full well that any reluctance would provoke more displeasure from his new instructor. At once, he flew in hard at the ancient warrior, and after a series of slashes and thrusts-and after several attempts which ended with Link's back to the ground-the soldier fell backward in a heap. Before his mentor could regain footing, Link leapt high and came down hard upon the warrior.

Then ending blow could not kill the shade, however. Link removed his blade from its chest and stood alongside the shade as it rebalanced itself. "A pinpoint strike!" the shade bellowed approvingly. "To you this technique has been passed."

Very much pleased with himself, Link stylishly sheathed his saber and nocked his shield against his back once more.

"There are more skills to be learned. They are only for the one who carries the blood of the hero, the one whose spirit is that of the sublime beast." The shade approached Link then, weapons sheathed as well. "Grow powerful," the masculine voice urged. "Test your courage. And when you find that you need another skill to overcome the threats that face you … search for the ancient statues. Sing their written melodies. Doing so will awaken my spirit once more."

Link nodded, truly thankful. His journey was fast becoming one of splendor and awe … a surprise waiting around every corner … and it frightened and amazed him how quickly he accepted the reality of learning the ways of the sword from a lingering, skeletal spirit as if it were the most natural task he had ever undertaken.

The shade seemed pleased. If its hard jaws allowed, Link was sure that it would be smiling down upon him.

"A sword wields no strength unless the hand that holds it has courage," it reiterated kindly yet forcibly. "Remember those words... Farewell."

In another blink of white light, all that surrounded Link, including the shade, vanished.


	9. Author's Note

If everybody wants to know how I have published these chapters so fast, me and my friends write them and each of us publish it on my account. Just thought I would let you know!

Thanks!


	10. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: A Baboon's Boomerang**

"Are you finished napping? What was that?"

Link's senses returned within moments and felt the prickles of the grass against his face. He pushed himself up from the ground and wiped away the smudges of its residue from his cheeks. Looking up, he saw Midna's hovering frame and realized she must not have born witness to the same events he had. _Only for the one who carries the blood of the hero_, the shade had said.

The weight of what had just occurred finally settled. An ancient warrior from times long past had become his mentor. Discovering the soldier was an honor and he wanted to know more. Where had it come from? How had it died? How did it seem to know his heart?

But now was not the time for such thoughts. Plus, he did not much care to share the experience with the unpleasant Midna. "Never mind," he spat. It was the first time he had spoken to her directly, and he could tell by the way her eye shifted before it narrowed that she was surprised he had finally graced her with a response. She wanted to interrogate him further, but she also did not want to let on that she was interested. Link let her suffer in silence as she once again descended into shadow.

Storing the knowledge he had obtained from the shade, Link hopped onto the branch ahead of him and made his way along its precarious edges.

The entrance into the tree was no longer blocked; Link deduced that his animal guide had crossed into its depths and left the threshold open to him … or at least he hoped so. He skidded down into the hollow of the branch where it joined with the trunk and stood before the doorway, staring into its darkness suspiciously. It was oddly quiet inside from what he could tell, but he still had the sense that imposing danger lurked inside. The silence felt hollow and stung his ears, the empty hum ringing like the counterfeit sounds of a conch, a sound ever pressing against the outside world in spite of its true nonexistence. Somehow Link doubted the sinister hum was any mere illusion, though. He inhaled a fresh breath of air and plunged into the colossal giant of the wood.

===============

Creeping along in the dim reaches of the bark, Link was amazed to find that the darkness did not bother him that much. His eyes still seemed capable of discerning images in black areas, and though the realization that his lupine senses still coursed within him, he admitted-only to himself-that the abilities put him at ease. His journey throughout the giant would be far easier due to his heightened skills.

Before long, Link stepped through another doorway. On the other side, two torches framed the opening, their fire playing with the tendrils of darkness surrounding Link. Thankful for light, he continued through the new passageway slowly, waiting for any sign of danger.

All at once a vine curled around his foot and dragged him onto his buttocks. Link followed the tentacle to its root and found an oval-like face closing in on his form. He pulled his sword and cast it down on the inhuman limb. The head squealed and bit at him as he pushed away from its crunching jaws. Hurriedly, he slashed through the feeble tissue, and it fell to the ground, motionless. Cautiously, Link took a closer look. It resembled that of the carnivorous deku baba plant of which Rusl had once taught him. He knew well enough that such plant life was to be avoided where possible. As they flourished in shady, mossy areas, Link was sure he had not seen the last of them.

Link sighed and turned away from the dead plant to continue onward into what he was certain was what Faron had referred to as the forest temple. Through the corridor he quickly discovered each trap positioned by the clever babas and avoided their dormant vines.

As the trail came to an end, Link found that the only way to continue on was upward. A lattice of vines climbed up the surface of the bark ahead of him; though, they were not the extremities of the deku plants. They were simply tendrils of the inside of the tree working their way up to what looked like another level. Link marveled at the complexity of this tree giant and found himself wondering who had constructed this temple that lay in its belly. Having hollowed a tree himself to make a home, he understood the difficulty and planning that was required of such a feat.

Before ascending, movement above caught his attention. Squeaking sounds emanated from the form looking down at him, and he recognized it as the monkey who had led him here. Link quickly peeled an exploring spider from the vines and tossed it away. After sheathing his blade, he started up the trellis, pulling and pushing his way up its length to reach the top where his guide waited.

As he dusted off his tunic, the monkey squealed. Looking across the short distance, Link discovered the source of its attention. A circular door with a coiling crimson design had been set into the bark wall. He stepped up to the barrier and inspected its periphery for a latch. He found no obvious device that secured it to the wall, and so he placed his hands upon it. He slid his fingers across its surface and edges, but still found no hinge of any kind. He pressed upon it, yet nothing happened.

Sighing in frustration Link found the edges of the door with his fingers and latched on tightly. This was his last option.

He jerked hard on the shell, and after a moment, a low rumble bounced into his ears and vibrated the ground upon which he stood. In another moment he had shifted the door from its bonds with a loud pop. Relieved, he rolled the door aside-into a recess in the bark-and stepped into the next room.

From his position on a short balcony, he overlooked a huge room. Wooden planks provided a staircase that stretched down to the rest of the room. In the middle of the space rose more stairs to a platform Link assumed had once been connected to the other three balconies that spread off from it. Doors similar to the one Link had just penetrated were also sealed into the walls of each outcropping.

The planks reeked from years of untouched rot. Webs lined the ceiling and corners of the wood. The musty air seeped into Link's nostrils and made him sneeze. _The sooner we get out of here..._

Link started down the stairs, the monkey following close behind. As he climbed the case that led to the central platform, he realized too late the form of a giant spider above him. He rolled out of the way just in time to escape its eight hairy legs. But the monkey was now in danger, the arachnid crawling rapidly toward its new prey. When Link turned out of his roll he leapt up and kicked off one of the wooden rods sticking out of the platform to propel him back in the direction of the spider; at the same time, he drew his sword. He landed atop its sticky back, and as it twisted about and tried to shake him off, he jabbed his weapon down hard into its eyes. Within seconds, its wriggling ceased and the body crumpled into an odd heap.

He slid down the side of the creature and stepped over to the monkey after making sure that the large spider had indeed been killed by the blow. Afraid, the little grey monkey saw Link as its only protection. It grappled his tunic and climbed up his body, circling around his torso until it came to perch on his shoulder. Link could not help a small smile.

The little creature squeaked and pointed to a doorway above. Link took the hint and made his way across the divide to reach the outcrop. He slid the door aside and stepped out onto a hollow on the outside of the tree. There he and the monkey stood, taking in the wonder of the scenery. They were in the thick of the giant forest, where the wind never slowed to a breeze.

The constant wind beat against them as they approached a roped bridge swaying violently in the harsh current. However, angry squeaks of another monkey on the other side caught their attention. With the howling wind in his eyes, Link could only make out that the monkey was larger than his companion and that it carried a small instrument in its right hand.

Within an instant the item sailed from its grasp and snapped the lower ropes of the bridge. The planks of wood that were sewn together to form steps collapsed as a whole and slapped against the side of the opposing tree. The monkey's tool then reversed its direction in a graceful turn to be reclaimed. The monkey turned around, taunted Link and his tiny partner, and scurried out of sight.

"Oh! What is going on? A monkey fight?" came the annoyed tone of Link's shadow. "Well, we can't go any farther. Turn back and find another way."

_I don't think I'll give up that easily_, Link thought. Against Midna's wishes he reached out and tested a rope that yet remained-one of two ropes meant to stabilize the bridge. When he pulled on it, he discovered it to still be quite taut. _Yes, this will work fine._ He drew his blade with his opposite hand, and keeping a firm grip on the rope, he slashed away its hold on the beam that protruded upward from the tree. Next, after sliding his weapon back into its home, he grabbed the small critter roosted on his shoulder and held it close to his chest. Ignoring Midna's screaming protests, Link pushed off from the edge of the hollow and took flight.

Wind thrashed against his entire body as he sailed through the air, his hair and clothes rippling violently. Swiftly, Link neared the tree's neighbor, realizing he had not entirely thought this through and bracing for a hard impact. He turned his face and the monkey away from the incoming trunk, tightening the muscles in his shoulder, which he wanted to take the brunt. Almost immediately after he had prepared for the moment, his bones collided with the opposite end of the limply strung planks against the tree.

Link bit his lip after the brutal hit had struck him, taking a moment for the pain vibrating through his shoulder and spine to melt to a bearable tolerance. He could feel the monkey relax in his arm, and oddly, he also felt a tugging at his leggings. Midna had obviously jumped out of his shadow at the last possible second to attach herself to him, now holding onto his knees.

"Are you completely insane?" she snapped. "You could have gotten yourself killed! Then where would I be?"

_Glad to know you're really that worried for me_, Link thought. _It's not like you had to grab hold. You could have easily snapped your fingers and been across..._ His thoughts strayed further on the subject, but while these unvoiced retorts raged on inside him, he busied himself with dragging him and monkey upward. His furry partner had danced around his torso to cling to his back, which allowed him better movement.

He felt Midna lift off from his knees, pushing through the air gracefully to land on the ground above him. Softly growling at her, he used all his strength to pull himself up over the ledge to stand beside her. Yet the reply that had just come from him in response to her behavior baffled and ruffled his nerves. He remembered countless times when he had growled at her during the time in his bestial manifestation … and he did not much like that he was still inadvertently doing so.

Shaking off the feeling, Link strode ahead, as Midna again dwindled into the shadow of his being. Her laughter echoed across the giants.

Link came to a door carved in much the same manner as the other red-splotched barriers. With a heaving tug, he rolled it out of place and entered the dark room waiting inside the tree.

Knowledge came to him from absolute instinct, the chilling truth that the dangerous creature -the monkey from before-lurked within the room … because he could smell it. He still found it unnerving that he had retained some of his wolf-like qualities. He was not sure if he could ever become completely used to such sensations.

Crushing noises, almost like alien chatter, continuously pulsated throughout the chamber, and looking up, Link could distinguish the heads of dangling or intertwining baba serpents, their long green necks flexing as much as their wide, drooling mouths. Sensing the possibilities of a trap, Link quickly averted his gaze from the high plain to search for a way out. Yet there was none.

Tendrils wound behind Link; he could hear their irritating rattle grow more prominent. When he turned about to take his leave, he found-to his dismay-that the serpents had wrapped their bodies and roots together to form a prickly fence across the opening. Link had his hand upon the hilt of his sword, ready to cut through their entanglement, when he heard a shrill animal voice behind him.

Link twisted about and his monkey friend cowered on his shoulder, slinking lower down his backside until it clasped his shirt, peering overtop his tunic just slightly. Link, though still mindful of the surrounding threats, stepped farther into the chamber. From the two sources of light coming from a crack in the circular ceiling and one in the wall, Link could make out a distinct figure atop one of nine nearly identical totem poles some distance ahead. Eight identically engraved poles circled the central beam where it roosted. Without wind in his eyes, Link could now see from its stature and red backside that it was a baboon.

And a rather angry one.

It threw its item-which Link now identified as a boomerang-and cut loose several of the baba serpents above them. Three of the red-headed, blue-mouthed beasts fell and attacked. Yet, within moments Link had dealt with each in turn, severing each of them at their jaw lines, but not before one of them bit nastily into his white sleeve. Fortunately the serpent creatures' bark was more ruthless than their bite. The head crumpled to the ground, and Link took up stance below the totem pole upon which his baboon foe stood.

Taunting it with only a raised brow, Link managed to ruffle its fur, causing the baboon to toss about on its perch. It unleashed its boomerang upon the youth, but Link ducked from its vicious path then rolled out of its reach when the feather-edged weapon sailed back toward its owner. At such speed, the feathers would cut him like glass-as had been the case with the rope ladder. The baboon caught it, and, flustered, leapt to another totem pole to try its tactic again. Again, Link dodged without breaking a sweat.

Tiring quickly of the unrelenting attacks of the boomerang, Link decided it was his turn. As the baboon busied itself in recapturing its precious device, Link took the opportunity to knock his body fully into the totem pole upon which it made its stand. The beam rocked and the baboon lost its footing, falling face-down onto the ground. Bravely, Link threw himself upon the beast that was nearly the same height as he. It wriggled under his weight and soon tossed Link onto his backside. A fist came at his face, but he rolled to his side to evade its massive strength. As the baboon preoccupied itself in trying to understand why it had not hit its human target, Link bodily slammed it in the side with a considerable amount of strength, knocking its head straight into the wall of the room a few meters away.

Link quickly regained his balance, ready for the next attack, but then he realized that the baboon had sustained injury … or so it seemed.

The baboon stood and staggered for a moment. Then something atop its head dislodged itself and fell in a crumpled heap to the ground. Link approached with caution toward the strange object. It owned a similar shape as the insects he had hunted earlier to redeem the light of Faron, but this creature was much larger, perhaps some other type of parasitic bug. Its legs wriggled as it lay crumpled on its back, and just as Link was about to strike the remaining life from it, it burst into nothingness in a spray of red light.

Then the baboon turned to face Link and, oddly, let loose a startled squawk. Obviously, it had no recollection of the battle that had just taken place. Frightened, as most normal animals were of people, the baboon skittered away, leaping from pole to pole until it jumped out the crack in the wall.

Shrugging, Link put the odd moment behind him and started for the door. He was not out of danger quite yet. However, at that moment he noticed that the baboon had left its possession lying where it had fallen.

Leaves rustled to life and were scattered across the chamber when it lifted from the ground to hover at eye-level, twirling about, encompassed and sustained by its own whirlwind. "I am the Fairy of Winds who resides within this boomerang," a feminine voice echoed from its stationary tornado. "You have freed me from evil, and now my true power has returned. Please, take this with you and use it to your will. May both my power and my blessing go with you."

It whirled about the room once, and then sailed toward Link, who caught it admiringly. Mouth gaping, he stood looking it over for a long moment, but the shuffling noises within the chamber again penetrated his ears, and he remembered.

He had not escaped the danger of this room quite yet.


	11. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: With Every Step**

As baba serpents slithered out from the walls, enclosing around his position, Link sprinted for the only reachable exit. He leapt sideways in his run to avoid being bitten by the teeth dripping with prolonged hunger. With a hop he propelled himself up one of the totem poles, tucking the boomerang inside his belt as he went. He had no time to center his balance atop the pole before the serpents above him began stretching their heads downward, and he leapt unsteadily for the opening in the wall.

Roughly, he caught onto the roots of several baba serpents nested there, and without delay he climbed their limbs to reach the crack a few feet above. His monkey friend had been able to stick to his tunic all the while. Just as the owners of Link's rope came at him, jaws snapping, he had lifted himself up and over.

Link fell through the opening head-first and dropped several feet before his hand latched onto a recess in the bark. His body jerked upright again and he was left dangling. Though grimacing at the strain put on his arm, he had to be thankful for being able to escape his previous predicament. However, his luck had gone from good to bad-for being stuck on the outside of a tree-to worse-for it was his sore shoulder that now kept him from falling into the abyss of the giant grove.

It was then he realized his monkey companion was no longer with him. Where it had gone he had no idea. It had been on his back when he had flown out of the lair. Now, he could only guess that it had fallen into the unknown below him.

Link bemoaned the death of the animal, for her felt entirely responsible. It had put its trust in him. His failure to protect it fueled his determination to press on.

He let out a grunt, from both the stress being put on his shoulder and his overall situation. He scanned the bark for another handhold, yet the several outcroppings he could find were meters below him. He moaned in frustration, but with an intake of breath he released his fear, and after angling himself, let go.

He fell five meters until his left hand skidded across a patch of bark and stopped at a rock. He grabbed hold quickly before he could descend any farther. Pieces of stray bark tumbled over his head, broken loose when his feet had made intermittent contact with the tree on his descent. As the splinters flew past him to fall into the abyss below, Link looked up to see that his handhold was solid. In the same glance, he remembered that this arm was also injured. Though his right shoulder could rest from its tenderness, he had momentarily forgotten it was his left forearm that had been torn by a baba serpent during his altercation with the baboon. The splits in his skin now dripped with thin trails of blood, which stained his white sleeve.

Yet, all pain aside, he would need his entire body to escape from his predicament. He stretched his legs out and his feet found crevices to hold himself aloft. Ignoring the annoying throbs in his shoulder, he gave in to the fact of needing it as well.

Just as Link was about to begin his descent, he lifted his head at the sound of loud repeating squawks. Holding onto a vine, his monkey friend swung toward him, and a wave of relief splashed through him at seeing it alive. It was evident, though, that the animal would knock into him at its current rate of speed. Link tried to accelerate his movements, but it was no use.

The monkey slammed into Link, causing him to lose his grip.

Screaming, he fell.

He tried to catch onto something … anything to keep him from falling.

At last, Link felt a prickly vine latch around his wrist. He looked in its direction, but his eyes were met by that of another monkey. It was not a vine that had seized him after all, but a tiny monkey hand instead. Its other hand grappled a hanging vine. Thankful but confused, Link rode the wind within the monkey's grasp, glad to sail anywhere but down.

At the height of the vine's swing, the monkey let go and they fell into the hollow of another tree. The thick canopy above made the daytime seem to shift directly into night. He could see monkeys peering down, up, and across at him from their perches in the trees encircling them. Their eyes revealed an emotion that Link rarely saw from their race. They were afraid, but not of him … of something lingering in the wood. Their eyes beckoned him. The mysticism about them and about this place, this deeper, darker corner of the giants' wood, made Link feel how isolated her had been from the world and its secrets, its wonders. There was so much to discover, so much he did not know about the world.

Link turned to his rescuer. It looked quizzically at him for a moment but then clutched onto one of the vines dangling at its head. Pointing toward another tree just across the chasm, it held out the vine to him. Oddly, he felt he understood the deeper meaning of what the monkey and its friends wanted of him.

He took hold of the leafy rope and kicked off the edge of the hollow. He soared through the air just like one of the monkeys, and landed moments later on the projection of bark his savior had indicated. He released his grasp on the vine and it fell back through the air gently, swaying peacefully. Link cast a glance back at the monkeys.

Next moment, he entered the tree; it was larger than the others he had yet explored. Making his way through the gnarled corridor, he could hear the distinct trickle of rushing water, and it continued to grow in volume as he neared a central chamber.

He soon came to the end of the passage and was awestruck by the enormity of the chamber. Another tree grew inside of the tree, at least six meters in diameter if not more at its base but grew thinner as it spiraled upward. Leafy vines hung down at various spots, coiling around the tree's higher boughs. Three waterfalls crashed down into the chamber from above, the water spilling in from an unknown source from outside the chamber. The droplets had amassed in the bottom of the huge oval-shaped room and wrapped around the center tree; though, it was apparent that the floor of the space was slanted or that there was a drop-off, for Link could move several meters into the room before reaching the shoreline. He looked into his muddled reflection and could not see any sign of the bottom. He also could not understand what had caused the water to turn a violet color. Perhaps it was the decaying bark amassed around him.

A plank of wood floated in the water, and a few rotted stumps smaller than the central tree jutted up only a few feet above the water. Just as he bent down to take a closer inspection of the water, it began to churn in front of the tree, the entire place rumbling loudly. Giant ripples flew outward from the growing bubbles, and in the next instant, two long-necked serpents shot out of the pool. They tossed their large red heads and grumbled and squealed at Link's presence. Slimy drool dripped from their razor teeth, hungering for Link's flesh, snapping their maws at him.

_This is what has those monkeys so spooked?_

Link smiled. _No problem._

As one of the serpents then lurched forward to crunch on his thin waist, Link drew his sword as he sidestepped, and slashed the blade down fiercely at its leafy textured head. Roaring, it drew back. Another low rumble vibrated the room, and from within the rippling bubbles of the water, another serpent burst from the depths. However, Link noted-as it threw its head from side to side, shaking the droplets from its body and onto the shore-that this serpent was of an unmatched size. A giant.

Link had been told stories of the creature Diababa from mythical tales Rusl had told him as a boy. No one had ever seen such a creature, but there were cave drawings in several of the deeper paths within Faron that depicted the Diababa. Rusl had show these to Link, and now the drawings came to life before Link. The elongated neck of enormously thick leather-like skin and a backside protected by hard red scales. Its head was as large as four normal-sized serpents' heads. A crown of slithering red tendrils flexed from its neck joint, its only eye placed delicately on the end of its watery tongue. He had only ever heard one story involving a Diababa plant. Through that tale-which had involved four nomads allegedly disappearing after facing it-Link knew its defensive tactics and its weaknesses.

It roared loudly at Link, nearly shattering his ability to hear altogether. Water and saliva dripped from its triangularly three-jawed mouth. It then spat out a steady spray of violet liquid, and Link just had enough time to race out of the way and bring up his shield as a defense. The Diababa plant was way out of reach, but he did not want to chance any encounter with the violet water it sat in. If it used such liquid as a defense, he did not want to find out what would become of him if he jumped into the stew and covered his entire body with it.

To his surprise however, he heard the squeaks of a monkey. Looking up he found that the baboon that had once been his enemy had reappeared to aid him. From its perch from one of the tree's high branches, it swung down on a vine dangling from the ceiling. It swept Link up just in time to save him from a biting jaw of one of the smaller heads. They swung in a wide arch, reaching the wall of the chamber. The baboon stretched out its hairy feet and immediately upon making contact with the wall, it shoved off from the bark. As they arched back and came within reach of the Diababa head, the baboon released Link and continued on its way to grab hold of a tree branch again, watching.

Link landed on the Diababa's neck and threw a hand out to grab onto one of its red-plated scales. It wriggled at his weight, but he managed to climb up its neck, ducking every so often as the serpents bordering him and the main body bit at him. Without thinking, Link immediately grabbed for the item he had newly acquired. He gave the boomerang a good sendoff with a flick of the wrist, and its feathers cut like ice through a serpent's leafy neck. The head fell into the water, and as the Diababa tossed Link around, he managed to watch as the dismembered head struggled to reach the shoreline.

Wrestling the Diababa grew harder in the following moments, and Link could not spare another moment in the distraction of the baba serpents, one of which still snapped at him. Link battled the Diababa like a wild stallion, fighting against its attempts to unseat him. It spewed another jet of violet vomit, but the acidic droplets fell nowhere near Link. After a few minutes of constant struggle, Link finally reached the crown. He dove past the red tendrils for its jaw. He did not need to pry its teeth apart, for as it tossed about, its mouth remained open, shouting roars of anger and displeasure.

Crouching under the assault of the remaining serpent, Link then thrust his sword down between the monster's jaw bones. The metal made direct contact with the Diababa's eye socket, the sharp blade slicing through it, blinding it. Then, as it threw itself around, Link twisted his body about and slid down its side to hold himself suspended at its underbelly. With a roar all his own, Link shot his blade several times in and out of its skin.

Link barely had time to climb to its back again and leap to the shore before the entire plant began wriggling and sloshing about in the water. As the severed baba head bounced toward Link, chomping its jaws, he slammed the point of his sword straight through it until the steel point hit the ground beneath, punctuating the kill of the Diababa. All the while, he had watched as the dying plant stretched out its long, shriveling necks as they decayed before his eyes. Their heads wilted and withered and cracked; then, with a loud, snapping pop, the existence of the Diababa disappeared behind the dark haze it became. It was then shattered into tiny black shards, bursting outward then sucking back in to create a most curious fragment that landed with a resounding thump of stone.

Link bent over and picked it up, looking over the strange markings of the grey object, which seemed as if it were supposed to fit against another piece of the same texture and color. It was then that Midna popped out of his shadow to stand before him.

"Well done!" she giggled. "That's what I was looking for." Her black hair, tipped with a red hand, grabbed the fragment from him. "A Fused Shadow."

She brought it eye-level and inspected it. As she looked over it, she spoke, her eyes never averting from the object. "It's what the light spirit called dark power. And do you remember what that spirit said? About how you had to match the power of the King of Shadows?" She left that statement for him to ponder alone and looked up at him, seemingly satisfied about the fragment. "There are a total of three Fused Shadows. I think the other light spirits have the rest." She smiled crookedly. "If you want to know exactly what Fused Shadows are … well, I'll tell you if you help me find the other two. So, I guess you better do your best to find them, huh?"

Her black hair shrunk back into the head of her darkened form, still smiling at him. Link was not sure why, but even though he still had no reason to trust her, he felt compelled to help Midna find the other pieces. Perhaps it was human curiosity or the plea for help from the spirits. Yes, he was doing this for them … and for all of Hyrule. But truthfully, he imagined that the true reason he had agreed to journey with Midna to the far reaches of Hyrule was due to his one hope of finding the lost Ordonians.

Link looked above with the intent to give a silent thanks to his baboon ally, but he found that it had already gone. He turned back and watched as the violet tint of the pool receded and took on a more natural color and shine.

_Why are you being so selfish?_ Link berated himself, as he removed his belt and all its accessories and laid them on the ground at the shoreline. _This is not just about what I want._ He removed his green cap and placed it with the rest of his acquired possessions. _This is about Hyrule, all the places I have never been._ He sat and unlaced his boots and set them aside. _Princess Zelda needs my help._ With her locked away, he was the only one who could act.

He stood and dipped a foot into the water, testing it and finding it pleasing. _Might as well._ He thought this would perhaps be the last time he would be afforded the luxury of a bath.

Link had only intended to cleanse his wounds and soothe his tender muscles with a quick swim and massage from the waterfalls, but now was as good a time as any to clean his entire body of the filth he had acquired. Besides, the delay annoyed Midna … and he admitted he quite enjoyed seeing her angry. She had already protested with: "What are you doing? Stop wasting time!" She removed herself from his shadow as if afraid of getting wet.

Link had disrobed down to his white leggings and leapt into the warm crystal waters, _unintentionally_ splashing Midna when entering. He surfaced momentarily and wiped the water from his eyes. Treading, he scrubbed his forearm with his hand then swam to take refuge under a waterfall. He let the droplets clean the cuts further as he mused.

_Ilia and the children are my friends, and Epona I care for dearly, but all I can do is hope. Hope that I'll cross paths with them. Maybe … they'll be wherever I end up next. Maybe … maybe they're all right. But what if they're hurt somewhere? Ilia took a blow to the head... _That thought brought great pain to him, a greater pain to which none of his injuries could ever amount. Ilia could be out there somewhere, bleeding to death … and he was not with her.

Link gritted his teeth. _Stop thinking like that! She's fine! When I find her..._ But Link stopped short of that thought. He did not want to think in what state he might find her. He only told himself that when all of this was over, he would find her. It was not that he was giving up hope. He could never do that.

But he was beginning to understand … this journey had to come first. He would not stop looking. It was just that there was something much greater at stake.

_I have to continue … for Princess Zelda, for Hyrule... But I am not giving up, Ilia. I'm not. I will never. I wonder where you and the others are with every step. I wish I could tell you … tell you that I'll find you, but in this evil..._

He could not think it … not yet. He did not want to yet finish the sentence that would have ended: _I'm not sure I will..._


	12. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: Crossing the Gorge**

Using her strange magic, Midna had been able to warp the two of them out of the chamber where the Diababa plant had once dwelled, and they were now back at the spirit spring in Faron Woods. The fresh air gently warmed Link's soul. _Now, I think I'll take Coro up on that offer..._ he thought, tapping his fingers on the lantern's glass.

But just as Link started off, a mystical voice spread out around him, as a soft, lulling tune played across the words. "Heroic Link, do not think that Hyrule is now saved from the spread of twilight. Leave these woods and go to the east. There you will find the land protected by the spirit Eldin. There … you will find those you seek."

Link's faint hope of ever finding his friends was rekindled, and he thanked the Light Spirit.

"But know that these lands lie in twilight," Faron continued. "They are now a dark realm covered by the clouds of dusk. And … if you are to set foot beyond the curtain of twilight, you will revert to your beast form, so … be prepared."

Those words played heavily upon Link. It seemed so short a time when he had finally been released of that form, and he did not relish the thought of returning to four legs. He wondered if prowling about once more would heighten his wolfish characteristics when he again returned to his pale-colored body. The idea of becoming more like his separate half in his true form was like a dagger inching into his thoughts. It seemed that he could not be rid of his nightmare. Every hour that passed he could register how much more he was aware of his surroundings, an awareness that was unusual for any human. Was it his curse to be a beast forever? Was his life bound to the goddesses' desire to force him to become more beast than man?

Faron's voice rang in his ears and awakened him from thought. "Hero chosen by the gods, the hopes of this realm now rest with you."

The singsong melody of the voice died away and left Link to his companion. Midna had sprung up from within his shadow, grinning, as if satisfied with herself. "That's better. Searching should be much easier now. But … of course, you feel the need to help the other light spirits, don't you?" Her laugh jarred him more than it normally did. How could she be so absolutely selfish?

"Well, don't worry. When you turn into a beast again," her eyes twinkled, "I'll take good care of you." Her voice then switched to a frank tone, "Now, the first thing you need to do is find the land covered in twilight. Once you do, I'll help you out." With a drawn out low-hummed laugh, Midna once again returned to the confines of his dark counterpart. "See you later!"

Link had to wonder what had made this tiny imp the way she was, why she felt no remorse for others. Why was it that she could not bring herself to express compassion? Surely some kind of sympathy rested behind those guarded eyes.

What was she keeping from him?

===============

It had taken only a few hours to retrace the path he had taken to reach the cave entrance where he had first met Coro, the Faron dweller. He remembered coming across the odd man's tiny shack when he had searched for the tears of light. Even through the hazy memories of his time as a wolf, he remembered which way to go. It was odd he had never come across Coro before when hunting or traveling, for he had spent many hours roaming the lands of the Wood, traveling the paths, hunting among the treetops. Coro's hut was not exactly hidden, though, it was out of the way.

He turned right at the cave opening and made his way through the spread of trees, until he came to the small house. Outside, Coro sat at a campfire, roasting his supper over its flame. The puffy-haired man looked up at him. It was in this light that Link could finally take in his full appearance. He had believed Coro had been much older than he, but now he realized it had only been due to the premature growth of a slight beard that made his boyish body seem mature. His small eyes made him appear to be in a constant state of tiredness.

"Hey, Ordonian boy!" said Coro immediately, looking up from the roasting rodent he had slapped on a pointed stick. His smile drew upward in a complete half circle, teeth hidden behind his bulging lips. "What can Coro help you with?"

"I thought I'd take you up on that oil," said Link.

"Ah! Yes. Okay." Coro happily leapt up from his seat and offered his supper to Link, "Hold that for me?"

"Oh. I didn't mean to interrupt-" stammered Link. He had not intended for him to leave his food simply to serve a traveler.

"Oh, not at all!" said Coro, slapping the stick into Link's hands. Falling silent, Link kept it in the flames as he watched Coro trot into his house.

When the little man again appeared, Link lowered the spiked animal into the fire again, having lifted it to see what it was this little man had been cooking. "Here you go!" said Coro, shooting out his arm to Link and taking back his dinner with his free hand.

In return, Link took the small rounded bottle, the yellow oil he needed for his lantern corked inside. The bottle was only as large as two of his fingers, and it fit nicely in one of his belt pouches.

"You can have that one for free, but if you ever run out just come back and I'll refill it for twenty rupees," offered Coro.

"Thanks." Link momentarily thought about politely asking him about his day, but seeing as Coro had returned to roasting his meal, oblivious to Link's lingering presence, he bade him farewell and started down the path past his house, the path that would lead Link out into a world he had never explored.

Hyrule.

===============

Several hours later when Link came to the clearing beyond the path, he halted immediately. From his vantage point at the height of Faron's entrance, the vast land of Hyrule spread out beneath him. Vibrant color decorated the land, yellow and green dancing of the grass as a breeze swept across the plain. Trees dotted the field sporadically, and a bridge connected the two inclines of northern and southern ends of the field with a shallow lake below. Several paths in the far distance led to other areas of Hyrule.

It was then that Link wished he had a map of his home country, but no one in Ordon had ever had the need for one. They rarely strayed from their village. When they did, it was for the usual selling of their crops in Hyrule Castle Town, and no one needed a map to find the castle that could be seen miles off to the north.

At that memory Link gazed it that direction, but now that he looked away from the immediate surroundings, he could now see the devastating wall of twilight that covered the land at the northern edge of the field. He looked around to find the orange and black obstruction blanketing everything in the distance, the only area untouched being the Faron province he had recently saved from the darkness. Faron had told him how his quest was not yet over, how the lands surrounding his home were plagued by the same black disease, but this was more disturbing than he had realized. His entire homeland, it seemed, had been rendered a dark world, its inhabitants no more than slaves, unknowing spirits walking forlornly in the twilight.

To the north Link could barely recognize the towers that were the kingdom's heart. The dark haze covered its skies like milky glass. Anger surged within Link, fists clenching tightly. Who was this ruler of the twilight that dared to shadow the realm in which he and his people lived? And for what purpose? Sure, this King of Shadows craved power … but why?

But Link could do nothing to stop the spread of darkness by standing there, brooding over the shadow ruler. He looked east and saw the path in the stretching plain that would take him to Eldin's land. It was difficult to see through the dark haze, but far off he could tell that the lay of the land changed, becoming more rock than dirt. The mountains soared high there; he could vaguely see their peaks stretching far across the distance.

Momentarily, the thought of crossing into the twilight and becoming a beast made Link reluctant to continue, but as he had resolved back in the pool of the Diababa's chamber … it was his duty. He was not, however, going to be able to get far without water. He had drained his waterskin on his trek to the field.

Link made his way down into the plain at an even pace, and after a steady twenty minutes, he nestled down at the shoreline of the lake. The breeze kissed his cheeks, and he was glad for its relief. The sun was boiling today with no sign of a rainy cloud. The wind and the water he now restored to his waterskin would keep him cool as he made his way into the mountains.

He plugged the cork back into his waterskin and looked out over the lake. He wanted to imagine that he had come here for a more relaxing reason that the plight of Hyrule. For a moment he lost himself in the pleasure of pretending he was simply hiking, seeing the sights, adventuring for the sake of adventuring. But that was not so, and Midna was kind enough to remind him of that.

"What are you doing?" she spat, popping up and seeking refuge under the shade of the tree beside them.

Had Link been full of energy, he would have leapt up and continued on, but he was glad to have an excuse to anger the imp yet again. He knew he needed to press on, but he had not slept for some time, and the weariness was finally settling in.

"It's called resting," retorted Link, as he flopped down with his back against the tree. He nestled into its bark, shifting until he found a comfortable position, and then he took off his hat, combed his fingers through his matted hair, and closed his eyes.

"Resting!" she barked. "We need to keep moving! Resting now won't get us any closer to the Fused Shadows."

"Neither will passing out from exertion," he returned, eyes still shut. No matter what she said, he was not about to move until he was able to get some sleep.

She growled, baring her single tooth like a rabid animal.

Link opened one eye and saw her frustration boiling. "If you're not going to sleep, why don't you keep watch and wake me in an hour," he said before closing his eye again and turning his head.

Midna gritted her teeth and twirled around to face the lake. When Link heard her body thump to the ground, he turned to look at her. He saw the anger in her rigid body, saw the irritation as her jaw clenched. He watched her for many silent moments, and when he knew she thought him asleep, he saw how her body shifted in the grass and how her head angled slightly toward the darkness in the sky.

Again he wondered of the nature of her secrets. He knew there was more to her troubles than attaining the Fused Shadows, more to the Fused Shadows than the ability to conquer the King of Shadows. There was pain and anger within her, and he thought perhaps he would never find out why.

===============

Once Link and Midna had resumed their pace in the hour following, they had found the road into the realm of Eldin's province in no time. Link made his way through the small orchard of trees which bordered Faron, trying to stay in the shade as much as possible. For hours, he walked and watched as the veil of twilight came nearer with every step until … he finally came to the image that had become the nightmare of his existence.

He had turned through a patch of trees to come to the barrier of twilight, everything around him becoming increasingly darker, as if night had come early. He approached it, painfully aware that he would have to enter into its black. He could now distinctly see the orange symbols magically embroidered into its expanse. He raised a hand to touch it, trying to render his fear of it meaningless, but he ripped his hand back when Midna giggled.

He had not realized in the darkness that she had risen up from his indistinguishable shadow, hovering next to him. In the blackness he could only see her one, menacing red eye.

Her high laugh seemed to thrash his face. Her mood had clearly improved since his verbal chastising back at the lake. "It's much closer than I thought," said Midna, and Link could hear the glee in her voice in seeing his skin crawl at the sight of the barrier after she had endured his unkind words. "I suppose I don't need to ask if you remember what this is." Link looked at her despite himself, her eye peering into his. "If you set foot in there, you'll likely be a wolf again for quite some time. Well," she giggled, "as long as it takes you to save the light of Eldin from the twilight, anyway." She came closer to him, and he could feel the breath of her mouth even though he could not see it. "So, shall we go then?"

Unwilling to show her his fear, he responded immediately, "Yes."

She separated from his presence, disappearing beyond the doorway of twilight with a ripple. Link watched the spot tentatively, bracing himself for the moment when she would open the twilight to him. After a moment's silent pause, a hand shot out from beyond the veil, and Link was reminded of the tortuous first time he had been forcibly stolen into its darkness. But this hand he recognized as the same that Midna had used to snatch the Fused Shadow from his palms, only the length of it was now completely orange with yellow-tipped fingers and a black ornament decorating what served as a wrist.

The massive hand swallowed him, and he was torn from his position like an unwelcome weed. He felt as though his skin ripped when he crossed the border, pain searing his every limb, as numbness crept into his mind.

===============

Drowsily, Link became aware of his surroundings. A patch of earth lay against his cheek and his shield pressed against his body. He realized he was lying facedown on the ground. He opened his eyes but still could not see anything, the darkness constricting around him. He shoved himself to his feet, but just as he did so, a sharp pain buckled his knees. His stomach churned with sickness as his bones lit on fire. He held himself round the middle, eyes tightly shut as pain seared across his body. A massive pain then burst through his mind and skull. Clapping his hands to his temples, he screamed out.

The transformation was as agonizing as the first time, perhaps even more so. His knees cracked and bent backward, as his feet elongated into taloned paws. His clothes seemed to stick to his body and become one with his skin, his green cap growing fur as his hair grayed and stretched behind his fracturing skull. He could feel his ears remold themselves underneath his palms, and the feel of their furry presence frightened him so much that he lowered his hands. But wherever his hands rested, they could feel another part of his body changing. Before long his forearms grew hairier and he could not keep himself upright.

He fell to all fours in exhaustion, completely reformed. He panted but managed to keep himself standing. He looked to Midna, who had stood beside him, watching him transform. Link saw that she had returned to her natural colors, but he could not read the expression on her face.

Truthfully, Midna admitted to herself that observing his first conversion had been far easier to bear. She had not known the Ordonian boy then, but now... His alteration had been hard to tolerate for both of them. She had told herself not to become attached … not to trust him completely, or at all. She wanted to hate him, or at least dislike him, but she could not bring herself to truly feel so … unsympathetic. She knew how difficult it must be for Link. She had known suffering. She had known betrayal. She knew not to attach herself.

But watching his body reform … listening to his scream as his brain was given a wider space to breathe … looking into those blue eyes, vision narrowed to slits from the pain...

It was hard to remain indifferent.

The only way she could pull herself from feeling even the slightest pity for him was to laugh at him. "That's a good boy," she said, talking to the wolf, not the human inside it. "Now, you need to listen to what I say from now on." She leapt onto his back, which she convinced herself had healed long enough. She looked up at the sky, and pulled at his ear to make him see, too. "And look. How lovely. The black clouds of twilight are so fetching today! I feel so much more at ease here," she hummed. To make herself feel better, she looked him straight in the eye, and said, with her usual tone of mockery, "And you look so much better like this than in those dusty old clothes anyway."

He shook loose of her gaze and looked at the area about him. He found the evening in the twilight much more fascinating than what she had to say right now … and that said a lot.

"Oh, let's get moving!" ordered Midna.

Glad to put the last few moments behind them, Link pushed onward and before long he saw something poking out of the dirt path. On closer inspection he recognized it as the wooden sword belonging to Talo. An unvoiced shout of glee burst inside him, but it was suffocated when he noticed it had been broken in half. Anger and worry pulled at his heart.

Faron had told him that Eldin's lands contained the ones he sought, but the spirit had made no mention of their health. He sniffed closely at the sword, picking up on the smell of Talo and Malo. It was a combination of two smells: human sweat mixed sweetly with the reek of their family's pampered dog. He moved ahead, still smelling their scent in certain patches of the dirt as he padded along, ignoring Midna's comment of: "See, isn't being a wolf more convenient?"

Link had to agree, but what she did not know was that some of his wolfish qualities had been retained for the short while he had been human.

He marched on, sniffing out the direction that the two boys had gone or had been taken, presuming that wherever they might be, the others surely would be as well. He did not look at anything else around him, concentrating fully on the odor of the boys. And he did not fully become aware of his sudden peril until he had to dig in his heels to stop from skidding of the edge of a cliff. For the first time since he had picked up on the smell, he tossed looks around him. A large chasm lay ahead; thousands of years of erosion-and no doubt a few earthquakes-had created a colossal canyon between the fields of Hyrule and the Eldin Province. Around him, the stretch into the deep continued in a jagged line from southeast to northwest until in the distant north, he saw that his side and the one that taunted him across the abyss connected. There was no way he could traverse the mountain path in his current state, and there was no way around for thousands of miles.

"Look," said Midna impatiently. Link drew his attention back to where he had drawn short to notice what she had obviously been waiting for him to see. A wooden archway had been built on the edge that opened out into the nothingness, three blocks of fencing constructed at each of its sides to hold it straight. He then looked down to notice that he stood on a slight upward slope of wood. Protrusions at the edge suggested that something had once fit snuggly atop them. Link looked across the chasm to discover an identical setup had been assembled on the opposite side.

"Obviously," his partner prodded on, "there used to be a bridge here. But, hmm, where could it have gone?" She smiled at him when he looked up. "Maybe we should go take a look over there." She pointed northwest, at an inclination in their side of the gorge. Link had the distinct feeling that as he had been sniffing out the trail, she had long before noticed that the bridge had been taken out and then taken it upon herself to silently search for the missing component. At her tone, he could reasonably assume that she had already located it.

Sure enough, as he leapt up the slope just beyond a patch of trees, there lay an intact, wooden bridge the exact size that they required. How it had ended up there, Link could only surmise magic had played a role. Thus, he looked to Midna for the solution as to how they would manage to replace such a large device accurately enough for travelers to use again.

Midna only smiled. She jumped from his back to hover high above the planks. After a moment of hard concentration, a bolt of red light shot from the end of her pointing hair and passed over the entirety of the bridge. With a grunt she lifted her arms up, and seconds later, the bridge followed suit, floating higher and higher until it came to hover at her current height. She led it above the gorge then, the wood coming along behind her at a steady pace until it hung overtop the exact spot.

Here, Midna let it fall onto the extensions with a loud, thundering crash that boomed throughout the entire canyon. She refortified the bridge with beams underneath that she created herself and attached. Satisfied with her work, she returned grinning to Link, who again stood at the archway.

"Isn't the power of twilight amazing?" she asked, knowing that Link remained bewildered by the use of her magic. "It should help you find what we're looking for, don't you think?" After a laugh she resettled into her barebacked saddle and commanded him onward.

They crossed the bridge, and not far on the other side, Link saw a barred pathway farther into the mountains. He approached it carefully. Having no way of passing through-for he could smell the Ordonians beyond the barricade-he searched for an alternative means of gaining access to the mountain area. As a human he would have easily climbed it, but as a wolf he would never manage the feat. He recalled the moment where he had escaped from his cell in the Hyrule Castle dungeons. Following that memory he dug his way under with great speed.

By the time he came to the other side-scraping his back on the bottom of the locked metal doors-he was faced with two shadow creatures. They wore fierce looking skull masks that they appeared to have stolen from creatures they had slaughtered themselves, for there was a fresh smell of death coating the air. In their hands they held long white weapons that Link had no doubt were the bones of the same beings from which they had taken the heads. They swung the bones at him-their surfaces still shining with dripping blood-but Link quickly leapt out of the way. Seconds later, the shadow creatures had met the same fate as the animals from which they had stolen bones.

Shaking off the high of small altercation, Link knocked the bodies off the path and headed down the mountain pass.

Minutes ticked by as they strode down the trail of monotonous rock formations. When at last the path became wider and wider, spilling out into a larger area, Link and Midna had no time to look around before they were bombarded by three crest-headed shadow beasts. With quick, effortless speed, Link dispatched two of the trio. After their bodies popped into nothingness, he centered his attention on the last monster.

The shadow being lurched at him, slashing with its spread of lethal fingers. Two of its claws caught Link's snout but dealt no real damage, the only evidence of its attack being two small slits along the top of his nose. Shaking off the sting, Link took advantage of its unguarded stance and launched himself directly at its neck.

This one, too, fell to join its companions after a crack of red and black haze dispersed its being into a world of nonexistence.

It was then that Link heard the ever familiar singsong voice of a spirit nearby. He looked around and found a spring in a recess of the rocks to his right, a dimly glowing light dancing above the collection of water. "To the hero … who was transformed into a blue-eyed beast … in the realm of shadows … in twilight... This way."

Link followed its voice, which sounded more feminine than either Faron or Ordona-which made him wonder if Light Spirits had genders.

He trotted into the water until he came to the foot-tall, wide waterfall that was so common in spirit springs and sat down at water's edge to listen as the disembodied spirit continued. "I am a … spirit of light. Hero … chosen by the gods... Look for … my light." Its voice was incredibly strained, as if each new word brought pain to its dimming flare. "Gather the light stolen by the shadows … into this."

From within its broken orb, a vessel of light bounded forth. Midna caught it gently.

"The insects of darkness … they are the form taken … by the evil that attached itself … to my scattered light," the light informed. "In the twilight … the shadow insects are invisible, much as the people from your light world are. But with your abilities, you will be able to press back their darkness." The light struggled across its next words-words of warning. "But … be careful... The darkness now hunts you..."


	13. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: Sanctuary**

Kakariko Village.

That was what the wooden sign said anyway. To Link the village, built within a narrow valley in the mountains, looked more like a ghost town abandoned long ago and rather quickly. The tall buildings, though once surely magnificent in their days of glory, were now run down shacks. Cracks formed along every corner of the outside frameworks, which indicated that the insides would be much worse. Windows were broken, shattered completely, or barred. Most doors were pulled tight and locked; others were broken at the hinges. A few shutters had survived the mysterious onslaught against the town, most hanging loosely by one latch. Some houses had lost sections of brick, the blocks hanging halfway out of their respective places; others lie smashed on the ground beneath.

The entire appearance of the village renewed his doubts of finding the children. He had followed their scent eagerly to this very town, but now, all he could sense was the hanging darkness in the skies that had torn at the community. If he were to find them here... He feared for their safety.

Link cantered up a slope revolving around the house to the left of the entrance to town. By the writings on the front door, he assumed it had once been a shop. He rounded the bend at the back of the store and came to a drop in the path. Instinctively, Link leapt, having no time to stop. He landed feet away on a manmade outcropping connecting to an open door of the next house.

He crept inside, wary of the approach of any of the insects he hunted. He jumped down into the dim room, and, sniffing, sensed something. A flitter of movement caught in the corner of his keen eye. He turned about to meet the scampering form of a beetle-like creature. Instantly, before it could escape into the outside, Link pounced and tore the life out of it. After Midna captured the glowing light that rose out of its dead form, Link continued farther into the house.

The next room was large. Open space greeted Link, the corners filled with boxes of all sizes, a bar at the far end. Yet at the sight in the middle of the room, he growled and sunk his head low. Two masked shadow beings stood in his way of ascending the staircase at the other side of the room, which climbed to an overhanging hallway.

With speed unlike any natural animal, Link was upon the creatures before they even had time to react to his presence. Snapping the neck of the first, Link hopped on to attack the next, but was surprised by a brutal blow from its bone club. His side pounding from the pain, Link had to leap back in order to dodge the following attack aimed at his head. Midna held fast to his fur as he circled about the enemy and tackled it to the floor. It wrestled but its efforts ended abruptly as its cool blood began to pour from several wounds Link had quickly and savagely applied to its neck and chest.

Without a second thought, Link tore himself away from the corpses to search the upstairs for any sign of either the children or the insects.

He only discovered one insect in the room adjoined to the hallway, and once its light had been added to the vessel, Link made his way out of the house and back into the empty street of Kakariko.

There had been no sign of the children.

He searched through the many houses of the small village, carrying Midna upon his back, and within the next couple hours they had recovered several particles of the spirit's scattered light. Yet, he was becoming increasingly discouraged in finding the Ordonians. He had searched every crevice and sniffed every crack and still there was no evidence to their presence in Kakariko.

Once he had left the last of the houses, one in which Link presumed had been used to refine flammable material into usable substances due to the many warnings against the employment of uncontrolled fire within the house, did he realize that there were even more places to be searched.

Having exited the building on an upper level, he found himself on its rooftop, which was attached to the spread of the craggy slopes and outcroppings of the mountainside it had been set up against. It was a strange place to have constructed a wooden staircase, but Link did not have time for questions. He leapt up the stairs and wound through the confusing dirt paths on the mountainside until he arrived at another house a few inclines above. His nostrils caught the familiar scent of the insect thieves, and he poked around the house, looking for a route inside since the door had been damaged and barred shut. Around the corner of the decaying brickwork, Link spotted a section that had completely broken away. He peered through the fallen bricks and discovered dim lights on the other side of the pile.

Link shuffled his way through the mass and finally emerged into the interior of the house. Whoever had once lived within it had been quite the disbeliever in tossing anything away. In every possible crevice, the owner had crammed belongings, finding a perfect spot for each possession. Although, no matter how honorable the attempts for organization may have been, the end result was one of absolute disorder.

It was during Link's exploration of the house that he tripped over one of the items. He turned about and identified it as a piece of wood; however, one end was now ablaze from being knocked into the furnace by his foot. Before Link could react, the flare had spread to the opposite end of the stick and caught onto a folded curtain. From there the fire sprang up the walls of countless items and within seconds the entire house was aflame. Link and Midna choked on the rising smoke. The fire stung the inside of his nostrils, and he vainly tried to cover his snout with a paw.

"Look at what you did," snorted Midna.

Through clouded vision Link saw something in the fire but was distracted by Midna's constant bickering. "Sorry, but as romantic as this is," she said, a beam falling from its support against the rooftop, "I'm not going to stay here with you. I'm getting out!" Immediately, Midna slid off his back and pushed her way back through the hole in the wall.

Link faced a dilemma. Discover what it was he had seen in the fire and risk death. Or … follow Midna and risk that the object would be destroyed in the fire. By one standard he thought Midna's actions had been cowardly, yet another part of him saw her act as simple common sense. He rifled through the raging mess, scattering this and that as pieces of curtains and papers flitted through the sky like fireflies. As the heat began to sting his eyes, the smoke becoming too great for his wolf lungs to tolerate, pots and boxes crashing in wild flames to the floor … he followed Midna out of the house. He cleared the immediate vicinity as the crackling grew to tiny pops of flame, engulfing the house completely in a raging dance of orange and red and smoke. It simmered under the crushing heat of the fire and smoldering breaths of grey vapor. Finally, in a great huff the fire blew out in all directions like the breath of a dragon. Planks of wood burst upward, bricks flew outward, and an explosion of flame reduced the home and its collection into a meager pile of debris.

In the minutes that passed, Link watched uneasily as the ashes settled and the last of the flames died under the repressive twilit sky.

Three gleaming dots swam throughout the rubble, as if calling out, and Link could breathe easy again. What he had seen among the rubbish. It had been a skittering insect, hidden by the needless treasures.

"I don't suppose there's a nice way to hunt these insects," remarked Midna. Her next words were said without any feeling whatsoever that Link could detect. "Well, you had to sacrifice someone's house to find Tears of Light … but that's how the mountain crumbles, right?"

He did not much appreciate the pun but resolved to set aside the comment to step once more inside the remains of the fallen house and gnaw the life from the three insects. Midna then plucked their sparkles from the air.

"Hey!" Midna shouted from out of nowhere and pulled his ear to turn him to face the village below. "We didn't look in there. Now how could you have missed that house? It's right by the spring!"

A tiny, rounded house sat nestled at the corner nearest the spirit spring. The top of its dome had been badly damaged, the apparent attic inside exposed to the outside. He wondered how he could have missed it in his search but remembered that he had left the spring to read the sign posted at the opposite side of the road. He then threw a glare at Midna. _Apparently you didn't notice it either_, growled Link, as he started his way down the path to reach the house.

Its double doors had been securely sealed from the inside, for they did not tumble inward when he nudged them with the top of his head. He even tried grabbing the door knobs with his teeth and paw before giving up the attempt of pulling them outward.

"Hey, you can climb up there!" called Midna, pointing to the side of the building. Link tossed his head in the direction and found platforms leading up as far as the bottom of the dome. The arrangement of the planks reminded Link of a framework or scaffolding. Perhaps the owner had been creating an addition to the house … before the monsters had come.

Link tried not to think about what had happened to the people here. He climbed up the beams and planks carefully and finally drug himself up onto the cracked rooftop. There was a small opening in the floor inside, perhaps damage of the same kind as the outer shell had suffered. He did not wait for an invitation, pushing past disordered and broken piles of crates and leaping through the hole.

Link landed on a red woven blanket. Glad to have landed on something soft, he looked about the circular room, suffocated candles lining the wall on one side and a tall statue standing at the center. It was then he noticed it. Faint glows; strange, hushed voices. Link closed his eyes and concentrated, connecting fully with the lupine blood that was now entwined with his.

When he next opened his eyes, he stared at the window beside the door, but now there was a lanky figure peering out of it in an odd manner.

"Cripes! I don't see those black brutes anywhere..." the crackling, male voice was saying. "They've gotta be hidin' somewhere, waitin' for their helpless little prey to come out! Then they'll _feast_!"

"We are safe as long as we remain in here. Be at ease," another male voice said behind Link, this one more calm, in control of himself.

But Link found himself unable to turn away from the skinny man staring out the window. He did not know the other voice. It did not belong to any of the children, so he paid his attention to the character who spoke of the beasts. Midna, however, put a hand over her giggle, laughing at both the man and Link's ignorance.

"I wonder if the monsters out there agree with you," squeaked the man at the window. He spun around to face the man behind Link, turning up the welding mask on his head. Glasses adorned his narrow face, its only color coming from the red beard and fluff of hair on his balding scalp. His belly bulged slightly from under its white shirt, giving the impression of a man who worked the wrong muscles. Suspenders wrapped around his shoulders and seemed to be the only way his pants would stay attached with his stomach constantly pushing against them.

"They sure didn't seem impressed by my bombs!" he continued, his tone rising to one of anger and fear. "How long do you think we can hold this sanctuary against beasts that strong, huh?"

Link heard a whimper behind him.

"Once they attack, it's _over_!" the bearded man went on, without giving any indication that he had heard the sob. "Remember the lady from the general store? Just one of those things attacked her, and then a whole gang from town went to save her! And what happened?" He yelped. "She was already gone, and there were _two_ monsters waitin'!" His voice shuddered as he continued, "And that gang didn't come back, you remember? There were just _more_ monsters then, and you remember what they did." The disproportioned man's voice progressively became higher and higher as his distress grew more potent. "You connectin' the dots?" he asked the space behind Link. "If we get attacked by them, then we'll be..."

_You become the beast_ … finished Link. He thought of the shadow beings he had recently killed. Had they in fact been the townspeople?

"BARNES!" barked the once calm voice of the other man, and it was then that Link turned to look at him. Dreadlocked and ornamented black hair framed a face of deep wrinkles. His eyes were widened in outrage at the other man, large lips pursed.

When Link looked to the two people the man cradled in either arm, he stood petrified. Talo clung under one arm while Beth then burst into tears within the grasp of his other. Malo and Colin stood close by, fear bottled within their eyes. Another young girl, whom Link did not know, sat calmly next to Beth. She looked to be about Colin's age, perhaps older, and she draped an arm around Beth's shoulders.

Crowded together on the bench, they looked like a large family lamenting the loss of the absent mother. Link knew better, though, and appreciated the kindness of the comforting man who now glared toward to scrawny one. Beth choked on her breath as she sobbed into her hands. Her new protector looked away from the offending Barnes and put an arm around her, drawing her into him to warm her from the cold of their despair. She clutched the folds of his clothes and buried her face there. The man gave Barnes a sideways glance as if to punctuate the damage he had caused.

As the man comforted the children, Link took in their worn, desperate faces. Their eyes reflected the kind of horror that children should never see, the kind of nightmares that a parent shielded from them … to keep their innocence as long as possible.

There was one face Link did not see, however.

Where was Ilia?

He did not have time to agonize over the possibilities, though.

Barnes tilted his mask back over his face and sank to the floor. Whether he was laughing or crying was not easy to discern. "Look, Renado," he reasoned, now crawling across the floor, "All I mean to say is that it's risky here, too! Ain't you got some place we can hide?"

The man called Renado thought for a moment, deciding whether or not to tell the cowardly man. Then he said with a glare out the corner of his eye, "There is … a cellar."

As if suddenly struck from behind, Barnes wheeled ahead, limbs flying in so many directions, Link thought his movements impossible for any human to rightfully manage. At once, Barnes was at Renado's feet, mask lifted, looking hopefully at him. His lips were shaking wildly. "What? You've got a cellar? Where's the entrance?"

Renado's answer came evenly, and Link sensed something lingering beneath the words. "It is designed to open when all the candles are lit."

Immediately, Barnes held up a single torch, its tip on fire. He rushed to the candle sitting before the great statue and set it aflame, tripping in the process. Before he could continue on to any of the wicks lining the wall, a female voice brought life to the subtext that had coated Renado's last words. "I … would not do that."

Barnes looked up at the girl who Link could not identify. Renado allowed her to explain. "When Father instructed me to secure the cellar, I saw insects like the beasts outside."

Frightened at once at this prospect, the mask atop Barnes's head flew down over his face again as he paddled backward to hug the opposite wall in a strange fashion. He remained there, clinging to the stones, as the sobs of Beth renewed and grew more painful, leaving her gasping for breath.

Colin leaned down in front of her and reached out a hand. "Don't cry, Beth. It'll be okay." He touched her hand, but with a gasp, she slapped away his attempt and covered her face once more. She angled herself away from Colin, sinking back into Renado's embrace.

Then Colin stood straight and said, voice unwavering, "Link is coming to save us all."

It was the first time that anyone had addressed him, and so badly Link wanted to call out to them, to tell them he was here. He wanted to tell them he was going to save them. But he could not speak. They could not hear him even as he barked, crying out to them.

Beth's cries subsided in that moment and she looked at Colin through her fingers. Talo looked as though he wanted to believe it, eyes popping wide, but his expression was hard to read since half of his face was hidden under Renado's sleeve. Malo simply sat there, staring at his stubby feet. All of them, Link could feel, wanted him to be with them, but there was a hanging doubt in all of their eyes … save for Colin. Renado and the girl beside them looked on in ignorance. Link wondered if they were picturing a tall and muscular man in their minds' eyes, someone advanced in their years and wearing grand armor.

Barnes just looked as bemused as any human Link had ever seen, his mouth hanging low and making the strangest sounds.

Colin looked at his hands, summoning strength. "I can feel it!" he said in a rising tone.

Link wondered if he truly could feel his presence … even though he knew he could not.

He heard Talo's grunt, and looked up to see him turn away, eyes narrowed. He looked to the others and saw that only Colin truly believed he would come to their rescue. The other children would be proven wrong. Link would not let Colin down, the boy who had admired him since the day he was born, the boy who had treated him like an older brother...

He lingered, staring into Colin's face, a face unable to return his glance.

Midna woke him from his trance. "These kids knew you'd come to save them? What a hero!" she said dramatically and drenched with sarcasm. "How sad, to be right in front of someone and not be noticed at all..." There was not a note of sympathy within her voice, however. "You are chosen by the gods, and only that keeps you from turning into a spirit, or worse, into a dark monster, when you enter the twilight," she reminded, quite unnecessarily. "And no one knows what you have done... You may be doomed to toil in obscurity forever."

Truthfully, Link preferred it that way. If his alter identity could be kept a secret from everyone, the better he would feel. He did not need recognition for his deeds. The tasks were simply those that needed to be done … whoever was to do them. His pain was in his powerlessness to reach out to the children, and that was what Midna relished.

"You're the type to worry about everything," she droned on. "I can tell. But don't fret over Princess Zelda! She chose this state of affairs after all..."

_To save her people from a certain death_, Link argued in his mind. _They are better this way. Wandering in the twilight as spirits... They aren't dead, so, they still have a chance. There is still hope._

"So," boomed Midna's voice, "what's all this about having to light candles to get to the basement? Not very subtle, is it?" She bent over him, clutching the vessel carefully within one of her arms.

_At least she cares about something_, Link thought.

Midna smiled at him. "So, what are you going to do now … my lonely little hero?"

Ignoring her callous giggle, Link picked up where Barnes left off, grabbing the dropped torch between his jaws. Quickly, he sprang to each of the four candles set into the wall, and in the middle of the room, a well-disguised hatch behind the statue collapsed into the floor.

Across the room he could hear Renado and the children's astonishment at the movement. Barnes had backed himself into a corner mumbling to himself. "It just moved … by itself … what's going on…?"

Link let slip the torch and it fell to his feet, where his soft paws patted out the flare. He then strode over to the entrance and peered down. It was dark. _Should've kept that torch_. But then Link remembered his eyes were now more powerful in darker places, so he had no further hesitation in dropping down into the unknown.

With a tumble he landed quite safely into the basement. A passage led into a central room, and it was there he found his hiding prey. Its quick movements from side to side were no match for his sight or reflexes, and within seconds, its stolen light was stowed with the others.


	14. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: Reunions**

The hunt for the remaining dark insects progressed quickly, or at least, this was how it felt for Link, whose mind still hung on the conversation he had overheard between the people of Kakariko and the Ordonian children. Having lost track of time in the real world, absentmindedly attacking the last of the light thieves, Midna's voice jolted him awake when she ordered him to return to the spirit spring. The search at an end, he heeded her command, though not for the fear of not obeying her, but for the understanding that once he returned to Eldin the spirit's light would smite the twilight surrounding the town and force it away forever.

His steps grew weary as he cantered down the slope that led into the main road of town. He remembered resting on the field of Hyrule, but he could not calculate just how long ago that had been. Tiredness began to creep into his eyes, and they narrowed, wishing for a break. But Link shook his head to reawaken his nerves and plowed ahead into the thoroughfare.

In a normal town, he would have looked across the path to find a part in the coming and going folk, yet the village of Kakariko had been swept into a desolate plain. Walking through the middle of town, the only things for which he searched were the signs of any shadow beings.

When his paws touched the water's edge of the spring, his fur floated about his crunched legs gently. The coolness soothed him. It was a simple thing, water. He remembered the days when he would sit at the Ordon spring and just watch and listen to the trickle of the water. No matter the obstacle-a rock, shell, or root-water found a way to pass on by. Something about that had always put his mind at ease.

All at once the vessel in Midna's hands stirred and glowed brightly, as if the lost offspring within it could feel the undulating of the light circling about the great orb now before them. It was then that Midna slid down Link's side to place the vessel below what was left of the spirit. In a flutter of whispering chimes, the tears rose up from their host and connected with the ball of light.

Then it happened, most likely because he had been expecting it this time. The pain that twisted through his bones was almost like the sting and rough numbness set on by frostbite. His body quaked, convulsing so terribly that by the time all the fur had receded from his skin-his clothes returned to normal-he had fallen over onto his side. As he lay there, deep agony transformed into a hand that thrashed through his insides, gripping his stomach, twisting his intestines, squeezing his lungs, setting everything in its proper order. Link choked on a scream when the fingers reached his heart and clutched it tight, pressing it back to its original form.

He did not know whether it was his tears or the droplets from the spring that had been cast upon his face during his spasms, yet whatever the case, he detested the presence of the dripping wetness searing his eyes. Breathing hard, he wiped his face clean and looked up at Midna, who had quickly washed her own face-though, hers had been dirty with a sympathetic glance that she never wanted her companion to see.

"Why-? I never felt the pain when Faron's light... But now... I don't understand." Link had raised himself up only partway, a hand holding his body steady as he remained lying on his side, legs curled up against him still.

"And don't expect me to," snarled Midna. "How am I supposed to even think of a guess to your question when you can't even ask it right?" She folded her arms.

Link, regretting he had even let the words of his befuddlement slip out, turned away from her. He noticed that the wounds he had previously sustained-the bite from the baba serpent and the scratches on his nose from the shadow-had faded. Only the tear in his sleeve and the stain of blood were left on his forearm.

He looked up to where the spirit's light had once gleamed, pulling himself upright, though careful to avoid bringing more tenderness to his body, which pulsated with the flow of human blood once more. The water had begun the glow a brilliant yellow as the essence of the spirit splattered the surrounding rocks of the mountain village with green designs. A single drop of water rose from the spring at the middle of the base of the waterfall, and it fell again in the same fluid motion. In its place a second sparkle ascended from the water, but not a droplet. The complete orb of light. The spirit's light. It rose high above the spring until it hovered high above their heads. Its great light burst outward, whirling arms of great luminescence bouncing around its presence. Finally, the brightness taking on the shades of greens and blues, a form began to take shape around the radiating sphere. Blinding, smooth wings lifted from the topmost hemisphere and flapped downward with a swoop that Link not only felt in wind but also in warmth. The wings continued to move, bringing themselves up and in, curling toward a body that had not yet been formed.

When the appendages finally splayed out around the orb, they unveiled the great white and yellow body of a giant bird, luminescent tints of jade coursing like veins throughout its smooth golden feathers. Its sharp talons clutched its most prized light; at the end of a long, craning neck, an almost human face stared down at Link. Covering and surrounding its nose and eyes was a heart-shaped design-almost like a mask-of black splotches on yellow. Its lips were human, oddly pink, and dangling from its bottom lip were two tufts of white feathers like a wise man's beard.

"Eldin..." muttered Link, awed by this creature more so than by any other being of the light he had before encountered.

As its wings-decorated quite elaborately in natural black swirls entwined with gold-flapped lightly in an involuntary manner, the human lips spoke. "Yes. I am one of the Light Spirits of Hyrule. I am the spirit that guards these lands." Its voice matched the elegance Link had heard in the tones of Ordona and Faron, and yet there was a new sense of wonder at hearing this being's singsong voice.

"O great hero chosen by the gods, the dark power you seek lies in the sacred ground of the proud mountain dwellers," it said, raising its head to look at one of the more precarious mountains of the range. Fire sizzled at its peak. "But already those grounds have been defiled, draped in shadow and seeded with evil. You must go to those sacred grounds and cleanse them."

With just those words, Eldin stretched its wings and body out fully. Then its wings collapsed inward to swallow itself and burst into thousands of trickles of light. They faded again into nothingness, returning to their watery home with a silent splash.

Eldin's swift departure left Link in a deep and awkward silence, whose awed and bewildered stare stole Midna's gaze as she tried to determine what he now thought. Truthfully, Link felt as though he was simply a means to an end. Midna's attitude toward him had never truly bothered him, never really gotten under his skin-whether human or lupine. He knew that she only wanted his skill in retrieving the Fused Shadows, but it seemed to him in that moment that Eldin was simply exploiting his talents to fight for Hyrule, when it-as a spirit protecting Hyrule-should have been. Perhaps it was this way with the others as well, and they had only gone about approaching Link and speaking to him in a gentler manner. The other spirits had even given him advice and bestowed upon him knowledge of his friends' whereabouts. He had come to greatly respect-even admire-the great Light Spirits, but after his conversation with Eldin, he just felt slighted. Perhaps it was only that his thoughts still dwelled on Ilia, since he had not seen her with the others, and maybe it was that he had hoped Eldin would have helped him in his search for Ilia as Faron had for the children.

Yet, after these thoughts had passed through him, he only became disgusted in himself. He had been chosen by the gods, and he had a duty to uphold. He had even told himself after the battle with the Diababa plant that rescuing Ilia, Epona, and the children would have to be his second priority and that if he was to find them out in the wide lands of Hyrule, it would be during his journey to save all the peoples of Princess Zelda's darkened kingdom. It was his honor to maintain the mantle of the Old Hero, his responsibility to wear the leather boots of that soul with strength and courage, discarding his own desires and his own selfish pride … even if it meant … never finding Ilia...

Thoughts broke into shards in that moment, realizing he had taken several steps into town as a nearby door creaked open. He quickly looked back to see where Midna had gone, but she no longer stood at the spring, and with a furtive glance downward he saw her one eye wink up at him. He shook off his wearied contemplation and looked up to the door of the sanctuary, the half-demolished building that had housed the Ordonian children and the three Kakarikans.

There, standing in the doorway, stood Rusl's son.

Link stopped dead. He wanted to smile, to acknowledge the boy in some gesture, but speech and movement seemed impossible in his disbelief. A flood of relief washed over him completely yet mixed with the inability to grasp that the young boy finally stood before him, safe and free of the nightmare in which he had seen him shrouded.

Colin stood there, as if the same immobility had rained over him as well. But soon, as Talo, Beth, and Malo peeked out from behind him, Colin was able to put his astonishment to words, calling out his name. He started to run toward Link, but in that moment, the other children grasped what was happening and Talo and Beth bolted for the lone figure standing near the water's edge. They paid no attention to Colin and jostled past him, either unintentionally or forcibly, launching him facedown into the dirt. Malo exited the building at a slower pace, idly walking around Colin's fallen figure and looking at him as if he were merely another grain of sand in the path between him and Link.

When Malo arrived at Link's side, Talo and Beth were already celebrating, leaping up and down, dancing back and forth on the balls of their feet. "You see, Beth?" Talo was boasting. "I _told_ you Link would come to save us!" Link only passed them quick glances.

Colin looked up and watched as the other children rejoiced around Link.

Link looked through the children at Colin with the smallest of smiles, yet one that said everything that needed to be said. What the boy did not know, however, as he returned the gesture and stood to race to him, was that Link knew that however much the others wanted to mask it, they had not really believed Colin when he had been the one-not Talo-to declare he would come to their rescue. Link remembered the snort of disgust and disbelief that Talo had expressed at the mention of his name. But Link would never punish any of them for it, for he understood that they were children after all. Most children had the peculiar habit of getting into trouble and being so susceptible to the fear of their predicament unless they were coddled by the soft embrace of a parent.

By this time, the children all circled about him, and the three other figures he had met without their knowledge came forth to greet him. It did not surprise Link that Barnes was the last out of the sanctuary, taking cautious, fearful steps toward him. He nearly laughed aloud at him, remembering his ridiculous behavior within the house.

The tallest figure, Renado, and the black-haired girl stepped up to Link, the children shifting aside a little to allow them room to talk. Both wore leather garments and weathered sleeves of tough fabric covering their tanned skin. Their style of dress told Link everything about what this town had once been: rough but full of warmth.

"So, you are the one from Ordon whom these children spoke of?" asked Renado.

Link had to look up to return his gaze. The man was nearly a head taller. He offered his name; although, Link had already learnt this from overhearing Colin.

"We are well met. I am Renado, shaman of this town," he replied, the short, masked man settling to stand between the shaman and the girl. "And this" -Barnes giggled nervously, upturning the metal and saluting Link- "is my daughter, Luda." Barnes took his arm down quickly, and hid his face, trying to disguise the fact that he thought he had been honored with an introduction.

The girl with short-cropped black locks looked to be a few years older than Colin, perhaps fourteen or fifteen. She smiled and nodded at Link in greeting as Barnes flung his arms in quieted anger and started walking off.

To center his attention once again on the conversation and away from his amusement with Barnes, Link offered out his hand in greeting. "I am Link of Ordon." Renado and Luda extended their hands in turn, but where Link shook the shaman's, he merely grasped Luda's firmly in respect for her gender and youth. "Thank you for taking care of them."

Renado gave a slight bow, a faint smile taking his lips in recognition of Link's honorable manner.

Link looked to the children. "What happened to you?"

"The beasts took us and left us to die," said Colin, his voice grave. But then he smiled. "Mr. Renado found us."

The shaman looked to the boy but spoke to Link, "At first, I couldn't believe that they had come from so distant a place as the Ordona Province..."

Colin shifted, trying to make sense of his thoughts and what had happened. "Yeah, I…. We don't remember much. All of a sudden everyone was captured, and then … until now it's been like..." He struggled for a definition.

"A nightmare," Malo's tiny voice offered.

"Yeah, it was like a terrible dream," finished Colin, a flash of fright returning momentarily to his pupils, "and we couldn't wake up..."

As Link began to ask of Ilia, where she was, why she was not with them, Renado's words took his place before any of them noticed the questions burning within his eyes.

"Nightmares are everywhere these days, it seems. This village has certainly seen its share of recent hardships." Weariness weighed on his voice; perhaps internal affliction had ironed his soul in seeing the townspeople attacked and the village left in shambles. "The dark beasts attacked, but even worse was the sudden and inexplicable change in the mountain-dwelling Goron tribe. They had long been our friends," he said, and seemed to slip into a reverie of those earlier times, "but suddenly, they began treating us as foes. They refuse to permit us entry into their mines. So you see … even before the attacks, our greatest source of commerce began to suffer deeply."

Renado sighed, frustrated, defeated by the ravages of the twilight. "It strains the limits of belief … to think that such a gentle and proud tribe could change so suddenly... It makes me wonder if something in those mines," he pondered, looking toward the peak, "is the cause of this change..."

The shaman broke free of his thoughts after a few seconds and again looked toward Link, dismissing the words he had just spoken. "In any case, you must take these children and flee this village before more nightmares descend. I, of course, cannot leave my village in such a time. There is no telling what may happen to us here. I will try to coax the Gorons back from their recent change of heart."

But Link grew reluctant. "Wait. I cannot let you go alone. The children are safe here now."

"For the moment. But what might tomorrow bring?" The shaman looked at Link gravely, truly torn between sheltering them further or sending them on their way.

"We could run into more trouble on the long road back, and looking after four children on the return trip would be difficult," reasoned Link. "I feel it is my place to help you." He was careful not to say anything of the spirits, for they seemed to be quite ignorant of the fact that he had just spoken to one just minutes ago. The less he revealed to his friends about his destiny, the less his enemies would find out about him and the true threat he had become to their cause.

"Link, there is no telling what may happen to this village. I cannot ensure their safety forever," the shaman replied.

Renado would not relent. Link could see that.

"Please, the night is upon us," he said in compromise. "I shall offer you a place in my house to sleep, but upon the morning, you must return with the children to your village."

Link again realized how tired he was, and he accepted the invitation … only with the camouflage of concession.

Sleep would have to wait.

===============

The house Renado offered Link as shelter was the very same in which he had killed two shadow beings. In his time as the wolf, he had thought the great house an inn of some kind, what with the variety of bedrooms and the spacious downstairs filled with tables, chairs, and a bar and kitchen. The writing on the signs and boards outside would have given away its true identity, but the words were left unreadable from splintering and dirt. He could only assume that the humble shaman had taken refuge here only now that the shadow beasts had been driven away. It would, after all, be much more comfortable for the children here than in the small sanctuary in which they had taken shelter.

As Renado ushered the children upstairs, Link paused a moment and remembered the words of Barnes and his theory of how the villagers had somehow transformed into beasts themselves upon being attacked. The conjecture had some merit, to be certain, since the twilight was able to transfigure him into another form. The high probability of it only made it harder to accept … that he had killed what had once been innocent folk of Kakariko. Link's head slumped and his shoulders slouched as he stood there, eyeing the spot where he had taken the lives of a beast. Had that been the storekeeper? One of the others that had gone in vain to save her?

"Link!"

A shudder ran through him as he gasped and looked up to see Talo leaning over the balcony. "Are you coming?"

The boy retreated from view, and Link breathed in and gathered his wits. He could not let the children see the discomfort in his eyes … the pain. Like Malo had said, his journey to save Hyrule was becoming all too real of a nightmare.

When Link came to the open door of the large upstairs bedroom, Renado had just finished seeing Luda to bed. There were three big beds that dwarfed the children, a screen shielding the third and further partially from view of the others. It was in that bed where Luda slept alongside Beth. The brothers were settling into another while Colin removed his shoes at the side of the last. Upon seeing Link the brothers bolted upright and began quizzing him on his journey and what had happened in Ordon. He answered their questions of home in full, easing their minds, but he left the details of his travels to vague answers. He would tell them more another day … when all was again at peace.

He had to reassure himself that he would live to see that day, live to tell them about his exciting yet challenging voyage, and as he tucked them all in, the distant smile he used to coax them into a sense calm turned into one of true happiness in seeing them all together and unharmed.

Downstairs he met Renado. The shaman silently showed him to a room on the bottom floor of the house. "You may sleep here for the night," he offered.

Link protested in realizing this was the only bed left in the building, and after a hushed, friendly argument, Renado allowed the youth to refuse his hospitality and gave him a blanket and a patched pillow. The shaman looked on as Link fluffed up a makeshift bed on the floor of the main room with the attached bar. He lay the pillow down in a corner, and tossed out the folds in the blanket, waving it twice before letting it settle to the floorboards.

Link felt the eyes of the shaman plunging into the back of his skull, knowing that he was not seeing him to bed, but perhaps making sure he would indeed settle in for the night and not sneak off into the mountains at night. Link tried to prolong his preparation for bed as long as he could without making Renado suspicious of his intentions, but the shaman was patient and persistent, which no doubt came from his years as a father and as the shaman to so many. Link therefore resigned himself to truly disrobe his accessories.

He unlatched his belt and all items attached-the scabbard, shield, lantern, boomerang … everything-and laid them to rest to the side of his bed, making it only seem that he wanted to be ready in case any mishap were to break out while he "slept." He then removed his cap and donned it on the hilt of his sword and curled into bed under his cover.

He closed his eyes, but his wolf-like senses were still attuned, still burning in him, and he could feel the eyes still watching, could smell the body of the shaman still standing in the doorway. Link was slightly embarrassed with himself when he felt that his body had involuntarily coiled into a position much like that of a four-legged animal when trying to fall into dreams. But he did not move.

Minutes ticked away before Link could no longer pick up the man's scent, and he forced himself to remain alert for another many minutes, keeping his eyes tightly shut.

When at last he decided that everyone had to be asleep, Link's arm bolted out from under the covers and latched onto the sheath of his sword.

===============

The mountain pass proved quite treacherous in the dead of night, but Link trudged on. He had no other choice but to face the danger given Renado's clear rejection in allowing him to accompany him to seek an audience with the Gorons. Even if he could not find a way to meet with the Gorons tonight, he at least needed to scout ahead to understand what threats may lie in waiting. It seemed that the troubles in Goron territory were at the epicenter of the twilit activity surrounding the province.

Link avoided many steaming geysers along the route he had chosen, nearly being singed by one that had been hidden by a jagged wall of rock. But he did not relent. This was Eldin's wish, the wish of all the spirits and that of the goddesses. He had been given great power, and it was his destiny to use it to help the people of Hyrule. He would not allow a stubborn and proud shaman to halt his journey.

When he at last reached an outcropping overlooking the base of the mountain that both Eldin and Renado had indicated, Link stopped and hunkered down onto the rough stones. From here he had a clear vantage point, even in the eerie darkness. Link had never seen a Goron before, and the many hulking masses of yellow-orange rock that lined the levels of the mountain below astounded him as they hustled about, working and talking in gruff voices. They were just like boulders to the naked eye, and he found it remarkable.

As his fascination began to wear off, Link burned through one possible route after another in order to strategize a way to bypass them all. He needed to find an opening into the mountain, the volcano that housed the mines of the Gorons.

He squinted through the night air and, after some minutes, found a path that wound up and up, ending near the summit of the mountain, and what was more, a small slope to Link's right seemed stable enough to hold his weight without crumbling, a tiny path that would lead him down to the base and then back up once more. He would deal with evading the eyes of the Gorons when he completed his descent.

And maybe … he might have time to trek down and up the rocks before dawn, time to talk with the leaders of their tribe … before Renado woke to find him gone.

Link gathered himself up and placed his left foot down on the top of the slope, testing it, and found that it would hold his weight, but just before he could step his other foot onto the path … he was jerked backward and stumbled down the outcrop. His worst fear was that a Goron had ensnared him, that he would be going to see the leader the hard way, but instead...

"How fortunate you are in one piece!" Steadying himself in the man's iron grip, Link was face-to-face with the shaman. "If the Gorons had seen you..." But a gleam in Link's eye reformed his anger into a question, one that Link did not need to answer. "You are trying to reach the Gorons of Death Mountain, aren't you? It is too dangerous up here!"

"I have to do something!" argued Link, but at a tone that would not carry to the Gorons below.

"They recognize only strength. A normal person could never persuade them!" spat Renado.

"Oh, so you can?" returned Link, ripping his arm free of the man's hard grip. "Teach me then." There was an absolute sparkle of rebellion within Link's eyes, but not against Renado. His rising anger at the shaman only proclaimed his need to do something, to help the village of Kakariko, the help the people of every village.

Renado could deny it no longer. "You truly wish to set yourself in possible danger to help us and the Gorons?"

"Yes."

Renado looked hard at Link, and after a moment, he nodded. "Then I help you reluctantly."

Link could sense that hesitance, and encouraged him with a hand on his shoulder. "I can help these people. I can help _you_. But only if you let me."

It was a moment before Renado spoke again, and when he did, he steered Link back down the mountain pass. "I know _one person_ who was able to best them and earn their trust."

"Who? Where can I find this person?"

"I believe you already know him," he said as they walked quietly under the guidance of the moon. "He is the mayor of your home village. Bo." Renado felt some guilt in telling him this, for Link was still a child in his eyes. Knowingly sending him into danger was painful for him to accept. "Go to him. And please, while you are there, if you do not wish to risk taking the children, please let everyone know that they are safe. We will take them back when we can get hold of a horse and carriage. For now, they are welcome in my home."

"Thank you," nodded Link.

===============

By the time they reached the periphery of the village, dawn had emerged from shadow. Renado and Link headed for the house where the children still slept soundly, but all at once, Link halted abruptly in his tracks. Renado stopped and looked to him questioningly. They both stood in the center of the road.

"I hear something," was Link's solid reply, as he unsheathed his blade, peering with narrowed eyes into the distance.

Squeals rattled through the canyon walls behind them, and Link turned to face the northern end. Heavy footfalls echoed through the mountainside village. Sensing grave danger, Link took up a defensive stance in front of Renado, who had remained to discover the source of the commotion.

Just then white hair came screaming into the village, and at the sound of a neigh, Link realized it was Epona who now came galloping at full speed through the town, two green-skinned bulblins riding in her saddle. Clearly, they had lost control of her long before their entrance into the town, for they shrieked as Epona's wicked dance tossed them about. Link lowered his sword and watched as a bulblin slid off and held on to the back of the saddle. Then-either completely frightened or very angry-Epona reared violently, tossing herself about and kicking up a whirl of sand. The foot soldiers flew off her back, and Link could tell by their loud thuds against the rocky walls that they had been killed on impact.

Link sheathed his weapon and started for Epona, but he stopped short when she cantered forward again, unaware where she was and afraid beyond measure of how many more creatures would try to harness her.

She did not stop when she saw Link. She did not stop when there were only meters left between her and her true master.

Link jumped out of her path and pulled Renado with him.

Epona skidded to a halt at the edge of the spirit spring and tossed her head once more, white hair flailing about her magnificent form. Link left a startled Renado and leapt up onto his horse's saddle from the back. She was immediately riled, however, and tried to toss Link from her back in the same motions she had used to rid herself of the other two creatures. She had sunken into such a state of panic that she could comprehend no concept except escape.

Link clutched one hand to her reins and the other to the front of the saddle, and his frightened horse pulled him into an intense exercise of simply trying to stay seated. She took off into the spirit spring, and before they crashed, turned quickly about, nearly flinging Link from her backside. Unsuccessful, she lost no steps in continuing her rampage up and down and around the town.

"Epona! Calm down! It's me! I'm not going to hurt you!" Link repeated over and over, until finally, after being flung left and right constantly, her hooves began to slow.

She at last came to rest at the edge of the spring once more. This time however, she did not toss her head nor try to dislodge her master from her saddle. Quick breaths snorted from her nostrils, and she neighed a sigh of surrender, a sigh of relief. Link leaned forward a moment, listening to the intense beating of her heart as he stroked a hand through her mane. Hushing her gently, he buried his face in her hair. As he heard her huffs come in longer intervals, he pressed a light kiss into her mane and slid off her saddle. "That's my girl," he smiled, approaching her front. "You remember my face, don't you, Epona?" he calmed, patting her mane. He took her head in his hands and leaned his forehead against her cheek, closing his eyes. "I thought I'd lost you," he admitted in a soft, almost ashamed voice, and Epona's reassurance came in a playful nudge of her cheek, which made him smile.

"Your horse?" he heard Renado ask from behind him.

Link looked up and nodded. He explained how he had lost her, Ilia, and Colin to the raid in Ordon and how the other children had been taken when he had been left unconscious. He mentioned nothing of his fall into twilight.

"If they were taken from their homes so violently, then it is best you were off," advised Renado. "They need to know their children are safe."

Link nodded and mounted a now tranquil Epona. He pressed his legs gently into her sides and they took off at a slow trot. When they reached the gate leading back into the fields of Hyrule, Link looked back. Satisfaction rose up within him. To see the faces of the children … to have Epona, his most faithful friend, underneath him once more...

"You're not too shabby a wrangler after all!" said the familiar voice of Midna.

He turned to her-knowing that she had obviously ascended from his shadow-and found her with arms folded and a sly smile written across her face. He looked away and said plainly, "No, not at all."

With a strange glance back at him, she disappeared into his shadow once more, and Link threw Epona into a gallop, pleased that he had, for once, caused Midna a loss for words.


	15. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: True Strength**

It seemed there were now bokoblin soldiers patrolling every route Link needed to travel. Perhaps the usurper ruler of Hyrule could see that his shadows of twilight had begun to recede from the kingdom and had dispatched the guards to search for any sign of interference. Whatever the reason, however, Link only felt obligated to slay those nearest Kakariko to keep the children and the remaining residents safe. The additional soldiers Link refused to touch. Killing more would only draw unwanted attention to the area.

Innocent people would likely be held accountable if that were the case, people that Link refused to be sacrificed in his name.

He kept Epona at a soft trot to avoid the patrols, and as the moon took its place in the sky, Link dropped from his horse and guided her into a small grove. He had not yet reached the border of Faron Woods, but he could sense the distress in his horse. He did not know what cruelty Epona may have faced, and, though she was as brave as he-perhaps braver still-he knew to afford her rest. As Epona grazed, Link supped under the boughs of their protection. It was a cold meal of stale bread and berries he had plucked from the wild bushes that sprouted across the reaches of the plain. True, he had never been to these fields until recent days, but it was not a world completely unknown to him. How to spot poisoned berries was one of the many lessons of forest life.

After Link had finished, he watched how the moonlight glistened off the white mane of Epona, turning it almost to that of silver water as it bounced gently with her movements. He did not know how long it was he sat there, sinking deeper into his earthen seat until he realized his eyes were drooping, fighting the sleep he knew he needed. The moment he tried to rise was his undoing, and he realized just how tired he was, and before he knew it, the peace of night had taken him into dreams.

===============

When Link awoke, it took him a moment to remember where he was. He lay on his side within the grasp of a tree root. He blinked back the sleep from his eyes as he tilted his head to see that dawn had not yet come, but it was near approach. As he gathered his strength, he felt a weight on his side. Looking down he saw the droopy eyes of Epon staring back at him. She had nestled down next to him some time in the night and laid her neck over him, as if to be lulled to sleep by the drumming of his heartbeat.

Smiling, Link clasped a hand under her long chin. "Ready to get going?"

Epona huffed, and tossed her neck as her great body rocked back. Link did not move as she rose to her feet. Where most would be terrified they might be squashed, Link had complete trust in his friend.

"It's about time," a familiar voice snarled.

Grunting as he gathered himself up, Link refused to look at his imp companion as she graced him with a shadowy appearance. Silently still was Link as he checked the straps on Epona before mounting. Midna made no further remark and disappeared just as quickly as she had come. At that moment, Epona galloped away.

Not long after the dawn did Link arrive at the border of Faron Woods. He slowed Epona and kept his senses about him, ever searching the woodland for any sign of further patrols.

Thankfully, he met no resistance on his way back past Coro's house, across the Ordona bridge, and into the familiar grounds that were the outskirts of the village. He passed the spirit spring of Ordona, and, through another break in the trail, he called Epona to a halt.

There his house stood. It had only been a few days since the chaos that had spread across Hyrule had come to his knowledge. Already, though, the house looked abandoned. A window had been cracked, the grass had grown longer, and there was a plant on the left side that had begun to wiggle its way up the wood.

But Link tossed away all sentiments and pulled his horse's reins to face the path into the village.

===============

The first parents to approach him were Sera and Haunch. After Link comforted them with the knowledge that their daughter was indeed safe, he followed the path to Jaggle and Pergie's house whose waterwheel spun slowly, the water churning along as calmly as it had ever done. The village looked the same in every way, every color, every shape, even the way the stream shined under the sunlight, but Link could feel the darkness in the air, some invisible pressure that blanketed the small community. It was the absence of children, the lack of laughter in the air that had brought on the dismal tension, and already Link could see pockets of light returning with the relief returning to Beth's parents.

Link came around to the front of the house where a picnic table rested between a pumpkin patch and a stretch of potato plants. Blank eyes stared out from Pergie's skull as she picked at the bread crumbs dotting the surface of the wood. Jaggle sat across from his wife, shoulders slouched and likely the same despondency shaping his expression. Intuition told Link that they could not bear to eat within the empty and silent house.

He dismounted and the jingling sound of his scabbard and belt shifting alerted the Ordonians to his presence. At the sight of Link, Jaggle and Pergie bolted up from their noon meal and were standing before him in seconds. Both expressed their relief in seeing him safe, and their eyes seemed to brighten a little. Then, before they could ask, Link spoke of their missing sons. He reiterated a short tale about his findings and did not excuse himself until he was convinced that this flood of hope-and the tears of relief running down Pergie's face-had beaten back the dark cloud looming over them.

Epona's reins in hand, Link hiked up the main trail of the little village and the incline to Uli and Rusl's house. He tied off his horse to a rail of wood attached to the porch and knocked on the front door. After a moment wherein Link could hear the shuffling of feet and see a flutter of hair at the window, the door was thrown open. Uli stared at him through the opening.

"Link! You've returned! Any news?" she said immediately.

"Colin's safe. All of the children are safe."

A sparkle of life returned to her face in that moment and the giant weight of worry lifted from her countenance. She welcomed him inside, wishing to hear the story of Link's trek. At the conclusion, all Uli could say was: "Rusl will be glad to hear all this."

Link remembered seeing his mentor during his last visit and the memory of Rusl lying down in bed, tattered and bloodied, prodded his concern. "How is he?"

"He wanted to venture out again in search of the children, but he's in no state to help anyone right now." She looked back at the door to the bedroom. "He'd just get hurt again." The way she said it proved her love for him, and he could hear the pain as well. Though she wanted her husband to bring her child back, she knew he had not the strength. A tough decision. "So, he rests still," she said, turning back to Link, "and his wounds are healing." Link let out a choked breath, realizing his lungs had held tight while Uli spoke. "Knowing him, he'll be up and walking in no time."

Link nodded. It was something. None of the people closest to his heart had yet suffered a wound from which they would not recover. Rusl was recuperating in the next room, the people of Ordona were still untouched by death, the children were safe, and his trusted horse was well.

As far as he knew, Hyrule's sovereign, too, was still alive and watching as her lands slowly receded from darkness. Link liked to imagine her at her window, staring out, finding hope in the light that poured through the great curtains of black. He liked to imagine her smiling. Though he had only met her once, he had a lingering care for Princess Zelda. Perhaps it was her soft voice, her gentle face, her pleasant manner, or the sacrifices she had made in the attempt to protect the lives of her subjects. She was a wise and selfless woman, and he admired her bravery.

But there was still Ilia.

How long would it be before he met her on his travels? How long until he found her, safe or otherwise?

Link bade Uli farewell after a few more minutes of easy conversation and was in high spirits upon his departure, but there was still one person with whom he needed to speak. Unfortunately, Link did not have any good news for him.

Steps heavy, he made his way through town, leaving Epona at Uli's house until he was ready to leave. She had neighed reluctantly at her master for leaving her side once more, but his kind voice and the familiar territory of her home soothed her.

At Ilia's house Link found Bo sitting on the outside veranda, dangling his pudgy legs over the edge and looking down at his hand. Fado stood on the stairs leading up to where he was perched, apparently in an attempt to console the distressed older man. Link stopped a moment to observe the mayor's depressed stature, knowing that his tidings would only leave his heart heavier-especially with the coming knowledge that the children of all the other parents were safe. Link looked away, focusing on his feet. His emotions had begun to broil in his chest, and he clenched his jaw to stop them from overtaking him … but it was so hard. He did not wish to say the things he needed. Saying it aloud…. Saying it would make it all too real.

Finally, Link approached the elevated veranda slowly, and Fado noticed him first. It was clear to Link that, by the gracious and tight hug which Fado had run down the stairs to give him, the rancher cherished their friendship more than anything. When Link finally emerged from the embrace, he could not help a smile when he saw happy tears streaking the face of his boyhood friend, and it helped to improve his mood. He, Fado, and Ilia had grown up together in Ordon and had been as inseparable as any troublesome trio. Their connection ran deep; therefore, it was no surprise that Fado knew with a mere glance that Ilia was still lost.

Link then looked up at the house to find Bo now standing and looking down at him with a piercing, hopeful gaze. Link dismissed himself from Fado and climbed the stairs to join Ilia's father. Bo took in the youth's new appearance, for no one but Uli had seen him the last time he had entered Ordon.

"Come inside," said Bo. "Tell me everything." His tone was proof enough that he had lost sleep since the day of his daughter's disappearance.

===============

"I see," the mayor said, after having heard Link's final repetition of the events that had taken place. "So they're all safe and in Kakariko..." Bo heaved a sigh of relief. "Well, that's good to hear. Renado's and old friend. If they're in his care we can all relax."

Link and Bo were seated at the table in the foyer-which was also the kitchen. Link only sipped at the tea the mayor had brewed specially for him. He did not want to advertise how incredible his hunger had become, for he had not eaten well-or truly slept-in some time, and he refused to take charity from Bo. He did not feel he deserved such kindness.

Bo's eyes narrowed then and Link knew what his next ray of questions would concern, for not once had Link even mentioned his daughter's name. "So, why are you keeping me waiting? How's my little girl? Is Ilia all right? With the rest of them, is she?" He looked almost at ease already, save for the twitch in his thick neck and the sweaty palms he rubbed together.

"Ilia..." Link hesitated before he spoke, choosing every word very carefully before delivering his reply. "I have not found her yet. She wasn't with the others." He looked away, shamed that he had failed both Bo and his daughter.

Bo was quiet for a very long time. Link remained a statue, unable to look at him.

When Link did at last return his gaze to Ilia's father, he was staring thoughtfully into his cup. "That's not what I was hoping to hear," said Bo at length, playing exaggeratedly with the handle of his cup. "But," he looked up, "I guess I need to think of all five of those poor kids, not just my own. They're all in danger." He sat unfocused at the table for many moments, only silence existing between the two.

Link did nothing to break it. Though Bo seemed calm in his manner, he knew the man's wounds had only grown deeper.

After heaving a sigh, the mayor focused his glance once again upon Link. "I shouldn't be feeling sorry for anyone, though. I wish I had a way of helping you." Link stared at him a moment, enthralled. Somehow this crestfallen man had harnessed some kind of resolve to deal with the situation, to push selfish thoughts at bay and think also on the needs of the others in Ordon. Link thought perhaps that was the mark of a leader. He could only hope to possess such strength one day.

"Actually, Mayor, there is something..." started Link, finding his purpose again. "The Gorons-"

"The Gorons of Death Mountain?" Bo blinked largely.

"Yes, Sir. There is something I have to do," said Link, careful about his words, picking only those that would not reveal his true purpose within the mines. "It seems the Goron tribe has become … distant from those of Kakariko. They're not allowing them into the mines or even into the mountain passes beyond the village. I was hoping to talk with them, negotiate, but Renado advised me against it." He took a deep breath. "He told me that you knew how to gain their trust."

"Ah, so Renado told you that?" said the mayor. Link was not sure if it was pride or agitation that crossed his oddly-trimmed mustached mouth. "Well, it is true. I defeated the Gorons in a contest of strength and earned their trust." The gleam of satisfaction was now quite noticeable in his words and gestures.

Bo seemed to be thinking hard in that moment, considering Link's words and even-looking over his body, as if testing his muscles with his eyes. At long last a smile spread across his face. "Please, come into the other room. I'll teach you what you need to know."

===============

Link felt silly and uncomfortable. He had stripped off his clothes and gathered himself into a pair of shorter brown pants and a sash. Also, he made a point to wrap a band of white cloth round his wrist. He had no intention of ever letting anyone see the scars he had been forced to bear. As he prepared himself in a corner of the room, he could hear Bo changing into lighter clothes as well.

"The basic rule of sumo wrestling is that whoever can push the other out of the ring first is the winner," Bo was saying over his shoulder. "You can do this by using three simple techniques. Grabbing and pushing, striking, or sidestepping. But rather than bore you with a bunch of explaining, why don't we just get to the real thing? Step in the ring when you've finished, lad."

Upon reflex, Link fluffed his matted hair with a quick tousle. When he turned around, he was surprised to see the mayor of the town so bare, wearing only a loincloth. The embarrassment did not last long, for he reminded himself that he did this for the people of Kakariko. He had to gain the trust of the mountain tribe.

They stepped into the ring and crouched opposite one another. Bo lifted a leg and pounded it back down on the mat-a show of his strength. Link mirrored the movement, the smack of his bare foot against the ring softer only due to his smaller size. Then their match began, Bo launching himself at Link. Remembering what his tutor had named as the three techniques, Link sidestepped the lunge. Bo soon recovered and faced Link again, and while the youth hesitated to act, Bo struck his hand against his face. The sting simmered there a while, and while dazed, Bo lunged. Link shook the hurt from his cheek and ducked just before Bo could grab him. Link came out of his stance with the fluidity of a dancer, spinning round on the ball of his foot to face the mayor once more.

Bo clapped a fist into his open palm, teasing Link. "Come on, boy, don't be afraid to strike! The Gorons will not show mercy."

Link could not help the grin that he hid in the corner of his mouth. The fate of Ilia was far from Bo's mind at the moment, as he smiled at Link trying to lure him in. Bo circled him, and in turn, Link matched his footwork, slowly circling about the ring. Suddenly, Bo came for him. Link sidestepped and slapped him across the face. As the man was occupied with the sudden tiny pain, Link grabbed at him … and pushed.

Bo was nearly to the outside of the ring when he was able to push Link off, but Link was faster and smaller and took the shove in stride, ducking when Bo slapped at him. From his crouched position, Link thrust himself into the man's midsection and applied the full force of his strength. Within a second Link watched as the mayor tumbled backward, out of the ring. His belly jiggled as he landed with a thud.

"Well," gasped Bo, as he gathered himself up, laughing, "it seems you understand the basics." He dusted off his palms and wiped sweat from his forehead, after which he cocked a brow, looking up at Link. "Care for a rematch?"

Link smiled.

===============

After what seemed an hour of training, Bo finally relented, and he and Link changed back into their clothes and splashed their faces with water.

"You've got natural talent, Link," praised Bo, as they made their way back into the foyer. "And you've gotten a sight stronger in the short time you've been gone. I have high confidence in you." Bo patted Link's shoulder then turned away. Link's false smile disappeared as he watched Bo retreat into another room. He could tell from the man's slumping shoulders that there was no more conversation to be had, and Link dared not intrude into his silence with a farewell.

Being inside Ilia's house made Link think of her, and it pained him terribly that she was not the one in the next room. He wanted so much to see her face and the smile with which she always greeted him. Without thinking, he moved to the stairs that wrapped around the right side of the room and up into another section of the house. He remembered sneaking around the outside of the house on the hill that rose behind it and sitting in the tree that sprang up from the earth so that he was level with her bedroom window. Many a night he would stealthily race up to his favorite bough so that he and Ilia could continue their conversations when she had been sent to bed, and many a morning he would sit in that same perch, tapping on her window to wake her, her smiling face greeting him when she opened its glass.

As he thought of the tree, he suddenly found himself staring out at it. Unconsciously, his feet had brought him up to her room. It was a small space, to be sure, but he had never heard Ilia complain. The top floor of the house had been split into two rooms by wooden paneling; a break in the middle created the doorway. The half connected to the steps owned a tiny table set off to the side. The other half was Ilia's room. Inside, her bed sat off to the right with a shelving unit to the left. The window that had buffered their countless conversations sprang out in the middle of the furniture. A small, withering plant sat upon its pane, a sprig she had uprooted not a month ago to nurse back to health. He stepped up to it and reached out to touch its once green leaves, but upon realizing his fingers were trembling, he stopped. Flexing his hand, he cupped his other around it and rubbed his knuckles.

He stood there for an eternity it seemed, just longing for her to be here, for her to be safe, for it all to have been a nasty dream.

But it was not a dream.

He took a cup of water from the table and drained it onto the dying plant before he set off down the stairs, a tear streaking his cheek.

===============

The way back through the fields of Hyrule was patrolled with the same amount of bokoblin guards as before. He kept a watchful eye on each sentinel as he passed by them in turn. He had to fight to remain focused, for his thoughts were crowded with worries. He juggled his concerns for Ilia and his meeting with the Gorons.

Evening was setting by the time he came to the gorge, but just as he approached the bridge, Link pulled roughly on Epona's reins to halt her and then guided her back to hide behind a crag.

Link peered out. On the opposite side of the canyon a large, armored ogre atop a giant boar watched as its swarm of cohorts-bulblin riders-searched the dead corpses Link had piled behind a break in the red-brown rocks.

Link heard a horn blast and realized all too late that the ogre had signaled the others to ride into Kakariko to investigate further. It was the very thing that Link had feared, and he jerked tersely at Epona's reins and willed her to draw level with the force before they reached the village, but by the time that they had crossed the bridge, the soldiers had already bypassed the locked gate and disappeared between the rocks of the narrow mountain path.

===============

In the desolate street of Kakariko Village, Talo and Beth were playing a game to occupy their time. Talo had hidden in a crevice near the sign that announced the town's name, and Beth, after a long search and a bit of whining, had just discovered his whereabouts. Colin and Malo watched from their earthly seats at the door of the sanctuary as Talo ran from Beth, who tried to catch up so she could tag him.

But then the ground began to quake and a low, terrifying rumble echoed against the walls of rock surrounding the village, making the noise seem much louder than it truly would have been. Talo and Beth stopped immediately, looking around for the source. Colin and Malo stood, also passing their gazes all about the village. As the earth quaked, a sudden impending dread filled their lungs, and they could hardly breathe. Then their sight was drawn to the westward entrance into the village.

Beasts riding beasts. The bulblin riders and their ogre leader screamed through the narrow path and continued onward through the street, paying no mind that there were children in the thoroughfare about to be slaughtered under their beasts' hooves. Layers upon layers of armor laced their leader's body, and a giant helm adorned its horned head.

Colin gasped in surprise and fear. It was the same horde that had kidnapped Ilia, Epona, and him all those days ago. The last image he could remember seeing on that day was that of a great green beast in armor and Link lying helpless in the waters. After that, he had fallen into nothingness; whether by a blow to the head or the sheer trauma of his fear, he still did not know. That same fear gripped him now, as the bulblin riders sped along at either side of their leader, brandishing clubs and bows wildly.

Talo retreated, running at a pace he never thought possible, yet his terrified scramble did not seem fast enough. He felt the thunder panging through him each time his feet hit the ground. He screamed and a tear slid down his cheek as the canyon seemed to press in on him.

Beth stood there, looking at the approaching figures, rooted by a massive dose of sheer terror. She could not blink. She could not breathe.

Malo stared on, unable to digest what was happening.

Colin turned to the door and outstretched a hand, meaning to call for Renado, but he turned back to look at Beth.

There were only seconds left. She could not move, and there was no time.

He had to act.

And he simply reacted. He left Malo-who then disappeared into the sanctuary-and sprinted for Beth. Just before the hooves pounded across her face, Colin pushed her free of the path … but left himself in danger of being trampled.

The hooves were only meters away. Their shadows assaulted him. Colin knew this was the end.

It was then that Barnes emerged from his house and looked around for the disturbance he had felt vibrating up his legs. Just a few meters from his doorstep, a large, masked face looked over at him. Barnes trembled and incomprehensible gasps sprang from him. The plump beast pushed its visor up and red eyes met his, prompting Barnes to lower his welder's mask.

The ogre growled but was then distracted from the villager when it heard a horse's neigh rumbling from behind. It turned and saw a green clad man riding fast atop a crimson beast, aimed right for the ogre and its horde.

Link watched painfully as a large green hand drew upward, holding a limp and bruised Colin for him to see. The ogre grinned and snorted a hideous laugh then sped north with its minions.

Link followed, desperate and furious, breathing through clenched teeth. He knew that fat face, those red eyes. It was the same ogre that had separated him from Colin in the first place. It was the beast that had taken everything precious to him as he had lain dazed and incapacitated in the waters of the spring. He was not about to let it escape with the boy a second time, not when he had already told Uli that her son was safe.

He felt rage burn within his skull.

It had taken Ilia from him as well.

When Link came to the great eastern field of Hyrule spread out between mountains and cliffs, he spotted the ogre and its bandits lined up at a distance, facing him. A wall of twilight stretched across the far horizon to the north.

Colin had been strapped to the top of the ogre's pike that displayed a long, frayed red banner. The boy was still unconscious, hanging like a limp ragdoll. The ogre goaded Link with a wave of its hand, and Link unsheathed his long blade, ready to hew the beast in two. But it blew on the same horn Link had seen it use when it had captured his friends. Link paused and watched his surrounding close, afraid to charge into a trap. Not seconds and minutes later did more bulblin riders come careening over the hills of the field, arrowheads aflame.

Grinning through rotten teeth, ogre rode off.

A need for vengeance welled up in Link so great that he was ignorant of everything but the soldiers and ogre ahead of him. He avoided their arrows with quick flips of Epona's reins-though, most of the time, she did not need to be told to dodge the blows-and headed straight into their midst. With simple flicks of his wrist, blood already began to pour from several of them. He heard a few loud thumps behind him as he passed the horde, sweeping his blade in and out of their gathering.

By the time Link emerged from their swarm, his face had already been tainted with spurts of their blood, his blade now shining from multiple kills. His eyes flared insanely at the sight of the crimson that dripped from the weapon's edges, and he raced through the field to reach the ogre taunting him with the boy who waved precariously above it.

He quickly squeezed away the distance that remained between him and the monster, yet the bulblin riders had returned to cut off Link's advance on their leader. Arrows soared through the air, their heads dancing with wild orange lights, and Link yanked Epona to the right to evade the volley then banked left. He tightened his legs around Epona's middle, released the reins, and allowed her to steer him straight toward one of the riders as he slipped his shield onto his arm. He held his sword at the ready as he shifted the shield between the oncoming flares.

Multiple arrows jabbed his defense and it sprang into wildfire. Link tossed it away immediately, scolding himself for having lifted the wood against fire in the first place.

"Smart," said a condescending voice next to his ear.

The sudden presence of Midna's black body hovering by his right cheek startled him. An arrow would have taken him had she not been there to rescue him, pointing a lazy finger and zapping the shaft to dust when it came within a foot of his chest. She covered a loud yawn with her other hand as she then sent a bolt of red and green lighting at the bulblin rider who shot the arrow. She then cocked her head, her eye grinning at him. "You can take care of the rest, right?" She stretched her body like a cat preparing itself for sleep and then disappeared into raining smoke.

Link growled as he kicked Epona onward, "Hyah!" His anger only doubled after Midna's quick emergence, and it stoked the coals on the raging fire in his belly. He had been much more content when they had elected to ignore each other.

He leaned to the left and swiped his blade, taking two heads off. Their boar bucked and continued onward with their limp bodies until it collapsed some fifty meters away.

An arrow then grazed Link's sleeve, and although the lethal point had missed him, its fire had spread to his shoulder. He patted it down with his free hand and then grasped the reins again, jerking Epona in another direction. The ogre was now far off in the distance, the two remaining riders following it toward the Bridge of Eldin.

Link pressed on.

When Link arrived at the entryway of the great stone bridge, he halted Epona. The two boars that belonged to the riders now sat abandoned to the side, and on the other side of the bridge, he could see a distinct figure: the ogre, facing him, the pike now attached to the front of the boar's armor. Link's senses warned him of an ambush, but his desire to rescue Colin surged stronger and was intermixed with an emotion he had never felt until today.

Revenge.

His eyes narrowed. It was his duty to rescue Colin, no matter the cost to his own life, no matter that both the spirit and Midna wanted him to purify the mountains. They would have to wait. Colin would be dead without his intervention.

He flicked the reins and Epona started forward.

Just as he passed the two pillars of the tower that connected the bridge to the field, the bulblins emerged from their hidden crevices to quickly toss piles of wood into the exit. The last one sent an arrow into it from above, and fire now burned at Link's back as a flare raged his heart. There was no turning back now. He would battle the ogre and he would only face three obstacles while trying to defeat it: the narrowness of the bridge, its mighty weapons and armor, and the hazardously swaying Colin-who could drop at any injury the monster endured.

The huge boar underneath the ogre reared and charged. Link followed suit, brandishing his stained blade low to one side. He would not be able to deliver a direct blow, but maybe...

Epona remained true to her course along the center of the bridge, just like the boar creature, but in the last seconds before they were about to clash, Link pulled her to the right and struck with his left, slashing the lacings of a piece of armor. As the heavy metal clanked to the stone and fell into the wide expanse below, the two continued to their separate sides. A pile of fiery wood greeted them both and they turned about to face one another again. After one's snarling eyes attacked the fierce gaze of the other, they prodded their mounts forward a second time. This time Link feinted to the left, but as the ogre swung a mighty axe, Link turned to the right and leaned wide so that the arc of his left arm could reach the exposed flesh near its armpit.

Momentarily stunned, this leader-this apparent commander and king of the bulblins-lost its axe. As the boar continued onward, the ogre slipped from the saddle and fell into the abyssal canyon below. Link watched the body plummet into darkness, where he could not see or hear the monster make contact with the waters far below.

The only honor Link afforded the ogre came from holding his blade high, covered in the blood of the deathblow, all as if a challenge for the monster to dare rise from the dead. Epona reared to her fullest height on her hind legs and snorted and neighed.

The humming nerve within Link's soul-the one that had demanded vengeance-began to calm and the fire in his eyes began to dim. He turned to the boar, which had broken through the fire and collapsed in the Field of Eldin. The pike had teetered and cracked away just as the animal had fallen, and it now rested not far from the boar, a bound Colin lying on his side. A few flares slithered up the pike and quickly made their way toward the boy. Link urged Epona toward him and cut through two of the remaining bulblins, the others scurrying off or hiding in the stonework of the Eldin tower.

As soon as Link came to Colin's side, he was leaping down from his saddle even before Epona had jerked to a full stop. He stomped at the rising fire, but the effort was in vain. Sweating against the heat of the fire as it licked the air around him, he worked hurriedly to cut Colin's limp body free.

Once the rope snapped and released Colin, Link sheathed his blade, and took him into his arms, stumbling away from the fire onto his back. He scooted back and righted himself. He arched over Colin, and felt for a pulse. "Colin?" He almost screamed his name. Link slapped at his face as the hiss and crackle of the fire overtook the pike across from them.

Link held his breath in the long moment it took Colin to stir, grunting softly as he turned his head just before falling unconscious again. It was enough for Link, though, who released his fear with a huff as he slid back onto his haunches. In that moment, however, his eyes caught sight of the humps of mangled bodies, both bokoblin and boar. His lungs constricted and his eyes widened. He searched the field. Bodies littered the ground. He brought up his hands, studying the crust of ash and blood and dirt there. Leaning forward, he collected his sword and paused a moment before sheathing it. The only reflection to be found on its dulled surface was that of the sky, also suffused by the same tint of red. Swallowing hard, Link returned the blade to its scabbard as he looked up into those darkening heavens. He thought of the Light Spirits and of the goddesses and their reliance on him as Hero. He had not realized the true impact of such a fate until now. Life and death, decided at the tip of his sword and the rage or mercy of his will.

He felt a tear slide down his cheek, a selfish tear lamenting the passing of his innocence, the end of his adolescence. A tear that apologized for the lives he might take in the future, one that came with the knowledge that he would never be the same again. Yet, a tear that also accepted his fate, a tear that washed away his own sadness, for no matter the reason the goddesses or spirits had chosen him, he would fight and stay true to his course.

Sniffling back his tear and wiping it away with a knuckle, Link rose. He mounted Epona, pulling the boy into his lap, and slapped the reins. They started off toward Kakariko, leaving the rolling hills cloaked with red in his wake.

===============

By the time Link had reached the road in the village, Colin-lying across Link's right arm-was beginning to stir. His blond hair was matted to the sides of his face from the smoke of the fires. Their blue eyes met, and Colin immediately smiled, but weakly.

"Link? Is everyone okay?" asked Colin, his voice cracking.

Link smiled and held the boy tighter, like a father holding his newborn babe. "They're all fine. Look, just up ahead."

Colin dragged his head to the side and smiled when he saw the faces of Beth, Talo, and Malo. Renado and Luda were gathered behind them. "Good."

Link halted Epona before the mass, but stopped dismounting midstream when he heard the boy speak again. "Beth," began Colin, "I'm sorry. You know … for shoving you. Are you mad?"

With all eyes now on her, Beth could only shake her head. She was truly thankful that he had saved her life and sorry that it had been at the cost of his. Link could see she felt solely responsible.

In the pause that ensued, Link took the opportunity to slide off his horse.

"Come, bring him inside," said Renado, and Link nodded.

He started for the inn but arrested his step when Colin spoke out, this time staring up at Link. "I think … I finally understand."

Link looked down. "Oh?"

"I understand what my dad meant when he told me I needed to be stronger, like you, Link." Colin took a breath as he examined his fist. "He wasn't talking about strength like lifting stuff. He was talking about being brave." His fist relaxed, and he returned his soft eyes to Link. "You saved me, didn't you?"

"That's right."

Colin beamed. "You … you can do anything." His attention turned to the mountain in the distance. "You can do something to help the Gorons in the mine, too, can't you?"

Link looked at Renado first, before answering. "Yes."

A weak smile toyed with the boy's lips, and it was either from relief or exhaustion that he collapsed in Link's arms. The other children gasped, fearful, and Talo even tried to help Link carry him into the house, but Link knew that the boy would be all right, that he only needed rest. His injuries would heal.

Link lay Colin down in one of the upstairs beds and covered him gently. The children, Luda included, remained at his bedside. Link turned out of the room and set to examining his frayed sleeve that had been partly singed. He then felt the stickiness of his face and remembered all the blood that had collected there from his kills. Suddenly, he wondered if his appearance had frightened the children and reprimanded himself for displaying himself in such a manner.

Renado came up the stairs, just as Link had wiped a hand across his face, looking at the blood now on his palm.

"Please," the shaman said. "Bathe in the spring. We'll wash your clothes, too."

"But-"

"I don't think you'll be impressing anyone, not even the Gorons, with such an appearance," returned Renado. "The evening hours are leaving us. Soon it will be nightfall. You should eat and _sleep_ before moving up the mountain."

A smile tickled Link's lips, and he nodded. He stepped past the shaman and retreated down the stairs and through the front door.

Renado watched him leave … and frowned. He wanted, with all his heart, to believe what Link had said to Colin to be true. With any hope the Gorons would bestow their trust upon the young man that now knew hardly any pleasure in life at all.

Chaos had made him a man.


	16. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14: Plea of the Gorons**

In the early dawn hours before the children would stir, Link had left the house and started up the path through the mountains. He made his way carefully back to the outcrop he had found two nights ago. The journey took no longer than a few hours as he adjusted to the new weight upon his back, for that morning Renado had given him a metal shield as a replacement. According to the shaman, it had been locked away in storage for a few generations; he had thought it only fitting that a young hero wear it, for the shield bore the crest of the Hylian soldiers: the red eagle below a symbol that bore identical resemblance to the mark on Link's left hand. Seeing the yellow triangles adorning such a prestigious item bewildered Link, wondering where in Hyrule it was he had come from.

Lying on the rocks of the outcrop, Link surveyed the base of the mountain, where many Gorons worked and talked, their voices sounding like a jumble of incomprehensible grumbles at this distance. The path he had seen before was now out of the question. He would be spotted before he was able to descend even midway into their depths. Tossing his gaze from one crevice to the next, he found no way that would give him enough coverage so that he would not be discovered by the Gorons. He would have to wait for the blanket of darkness.

Scooting back, he searched for a spot where he could hide until night came, but it was in that moment that an oddly shaped stone caught his attention. It rested only a few meters down the path he had come, and he wondered how he could have overlooked it, seeing as though it was one of the few stones painted a natural grey tone.

Link pulled himself away from the outcrop and trudged back to face the stone. A hole had been carved out of its middle and symbols were inscribed on its surface below the puncture. Link traced the lines and the six symbols arranged on them with his fingers. Below the notes were faint engravings that looked like words. Studying them, he recognized them as symbols from an ancient alphabet Rusl had taught him. This was a language, now dead, whose letters appeared as simple wedge-like shapes. Link had not been proficient in actually learning the language, so he could not understand the words, but he had retained the knowledge in what sound each character made. He muttered them aloud, fumbling a few times with pronunciation until it began to sound right. Curious and confused, Link stared at the carvings, suddenly forgetting his quest. He felt drawn to it.

A revelation finally came to him. These etchings were musical notes. He had never sight read music before, nor had he ever imagined he would have needed such a skill, but the notes seemed simple enough. He proceeded to clear his throat. He looked around for any sign of the Gorons, and when he saw that he was still alone, he uncertainly hummed the tune written on the stone. When he became accustomed to the flow of the melody, he pronounced the syllables below in tune with the notes. The song had a sort of therapeutic sensation as he sang.

When the melody died on the air, he heard a clang and then and flash of white.

A blistering white surrounded him, and it took his eyes a moment to adjust. Blinking back the brightness, he saw a beautiful castle in the distance … one he remembered seeing once before.

"We meet again." Link heard the ancient voice and turned to watch as the great golden wolf rose into the skeletal figure of his mentor. "You have a little more of the look of a hero than you did before," said the shade of times-gone-by as it looked across at the youth. "You have passed a true test of strength … and another lies before you. Do you feel that you are ready to earn the next skill?"

"I do," Link nodded. He felt miles away from the Hyrule he knew, and it was the furthest thought from his mind. It strangely felt all too real, all too right, that he should be standing in this unbelievable place, this uncharted reality.

"Very well," breathed the shade. "The second skill is the shield attack. Let it be hewn into your mind!" The old hero took a step forward and raised its blade and shield. "No matter how well-tempered a blade is, if a foe is clad in armor and bears a shield, the sword will do it no harm."

Link thought of the ogre he had slain yesterday, and he only just caught the frown forming on his face before the shade could see the hatred in his eyes.

"When facing such a foe," the grotesque figure continued, "you must thrust your shield against the defenses of your enemy." The shade demonstrated the rough movement with its own instrument.

The soldier then brought its shield back against its body. "You will attempt this technique upon me."

Link prepared himself for battle and raised his new shield tight against him. This time, the shade did not wait for Link to perform the movement and began an assault; though, Link was sure that the expertise the ancient hero now demonstrated was only a fraction of its true abilities. Link moved around the armored skeleton, and when it turned to meet him, he bashed his shield into the shade's, and it was momentarily stunned. Knowing that the warrior could not be killed, he angled his blade and struck hard around its shield.

"Excellent!" said the soldier, righting its body. "Open a hole in your enemy's defenses and strike without hesitation! The shield attack may also be used to repel the projectile weapons of your enemies. Repel my magical attack!"

Link had barely enough time to react to the quick movement that followed, lifting his shield at the very moment a ball of yellow energy screamed toward him. When he saw the solid, flaming mass about to hit, he slammed against it more upon instinct than instruction. The orb bounced back and clouted the shade's shield and dispersed. "Perfect!" his instructor shouted.

The rattling warrior loosened its grip on its weapons and took a few steps toward its protégé. "There are other techniques for you to learn, in time." Its raspy voice echoed in Link's ears, scratching them roughly. "The path to becoming the true hero is a long one, but once you have grasped all of these hidden skills, you shall be worthy of walking it. You must persist on the lonely path of the sword to obtain true courage and earn the strength to conquer the great evils of the world!"

The shade paused then, and Link saw hesitation welled within its red gaze, but the ancient one knew how to overpower such emotions, and it backed away. It left Link with only one command. "Do not forget your discipline with the blade before we meet again!" it called back in a hard yet strangely kind octave as it walked away.

In the presence of the shade, and in its great and infinite wisdom, Link could rarely think beyond instinct, as if some spell had been cast over him. But now, as his senses were returning, Link called out, "Wait! Please! I have so many questions!"

The receding shade did not turn. It did not answer. It merely clanked along until the fog devoured it.

A white blur of nothingness pierced Link's vision. He gasped on the suddenly frigid air, and he fell hard to the ground.

===============

Grunting and choking on the crisp mountain air, Link pushed himself up, his sight returning. In front of him, was the ancient statue from which he had called his mentor, but to his left, looking up toward the outcrop, he saw a new bump in the rocks. He blinked several times and squinted away the rest of the blur that had infected his eyes. The new feature, a boulder, bounded down toward him at a striking speed. Link leapt out of the way, the rock nearly rolling over his foot.

Link clung to the rock wall as he looked down the path, the boulder crashing to a halt against an overhang. Link panted a sigh of relief, even though he found it quite odd that the boulder had not broken apart or even been chipped. There was only a low, resounding rumble as the echo of its impact died away.

His heart steady, Link tried to retreat from the wall, but something twined about his arm. He turned to his left and instinctively gasped and froze. There, right before his eyes, was a Goron, peeling itself away from the rock wall. Link jerked around and discovered that there, too, a Goron had begun to step out of the rocky surface. Eyes wide in disbelief, Link felt another tug and his right arm was captured. However, Link did not begin to struggle against their iron grip until he watched the boulder below morph into yet another bipedal mass of hard stone.

The Goron meandered up to where Link stood prisoner. Link looked up into its flat, painted face. Its eyes were a fiery blue. For a moment the large circles only burned into Link's eyes, but then, under its ridiculously small nose, the long line that served as its mouth chiseled into a smile, twisting its face into an even more hideous sight.

"You will never pass into our mountains!" its deep, garbled voice declared, and Link realized that the rumbling echo he had heard just moments ago had actually been the Goron's voice. "You cannot hope to match our brute force!"

Remembering Renado and Bo's words, Link finally pushed aside his instinctive fears and found his strength. He clenched his jaw and mustered the brute attitude he thought required of him if he were to match wits with the Gorons. "Well, I've come this far," he retorted.

The Goron's smile coiled into a frown. "And yet you stop to sing to the mountains? Wishing for luck?"

"Not one of my better ideas, I assure you," said Link, still wriggling against his restraints.

"Enough talk," said the Goron off Link's right. "Let's take him to Gor Coron. He will know what to do with this puny human."

After considering, the Goron in front of Link nodded to the others. Link stopped struggling as they dragged him along at their surprisingly fast pace. They were taking him exactly where it had been impossible for him to go, but after only minutes, Link felt his arms about to break at any moment from the hard pressure of their jagged and bulky hands. He could only hope their quick pace remained constant.

Far above, the crater at the summit of Death Mountain began to boil, and spat out rock after rock of burning lava. The stones fell in a sporadic fashion. Link's procession stopped only momentarily when the largest of the rocks tumbled down in front of them and pierced the earth of mountain base. The Gorons led the green clad warrior around it and up the mountain.

===============

After reaching the summit, the Gorons unceremoniously tossed Link into the circular room and backed away. A large mat sat center of the cavern-like chamber, and to each side were three large, golden-yellow Gorons that began cracking their stone knuckles and growling at the sight of the intruder. Link looked up to see them approaching.

Just when Link thought he might be pounded down into puny bits of dust, the Goron who had led his convoy stepped in front of him. "Elder Coron, the puny humans trespass. This one ignores our borders."

Link felt relieved that this Goron had come between the giant Gorons still cracking their knuckles, but he could not help thinking that the words of his savoir were going to prove little value to his wellbeing. Link looked around, trying to figure out which one was the elder.

"Break his bones!" a Goron grumbled, and Link could feel his boots vibrating from the boom in his voice.

This let loose a string of curses from the others, some of which Link did not understand.

"Make an example!" one demanded.

"Crush his puny head!" another growled as he plucked up a fist-sized, red rock and threw it in his gaping maw, teeth chomping through it like nails on unpolished tile.

It was a true test to hide the affect of their intimidation, but Link was determined to appear strong and resolute.

The Gorons began their approach again, growling, pounding their fists and stomping their small feet.

Link watched the Gorons in painful awareness of what might occur in a matter of moments. He stood his ground, the sweat of his brow the only sign of his anxiety.

"ENOUGH!"

The room rattled at the deep voice. The Gorons stood rooted. Behind them, Link could see two Gorons standing at an exit, torches to either side. The two white and yellow painted Gorons shifted apart to allow the one who had spoken to gain entrance into the chamber.

Link had thought that the members of their tribe all looked alike, their skin a deep bronze color with round heads and painted bodies and their only clothing being loincloths. Yet when a shorter Goron stepped into the chamber, Link realized he had judged all too quickly. This Goron's head was shaped like a squashed egg, and its belly and elbows were circled in bold pink lines. Yet, though the rock man stood shorter than the others-drawing to a height that nearly matched Link's-his voice demanded immediate obedience and respect.

"Is this young one such an imposing enemy that you must all attack him?" asked the Goron in a fast paced voice. "This is not strength, Little Brothers." He glided as he emerged the rest of the way, standing at the top of five stair steps. He looked down to Link and beckoned him forward.

Link brought himself to his full height, pushing away the itch to rub the hurt from his back and arms. He stepped past the other Gorons, as they, too, gathered around.

"I am the Goron Elder, little human, Gor Coron," he introduced.

Link offered his name in return.

"Well, Link, because of certain … circumstances, I must lead the tribe in place of Darbus, our patriarch," he said, stressing his reluctance to say anything further on the issue just by the inflection of his tone. His eyes studied Link, saw every dip and curve in the muscles under his tunic. "It was I who ordered the people of Kakariko from our lands, and this has not changed. Our mines and our mountains remain closed to you. I suggest you return to your people."

Gor Coron turned away, almost disappointed.

Link cocked his head in confusion and in anger. As the Gorons surrounding him began to jeer again, Link spoke, making his voice rise above the crowd, commanding his audience. "No," he said simply. The word hushed some, astonished such power had come from one so small; his tone only served to enrage others, and as the elder turned back to Link, he raised his voice as he continued. "I do not come from Kakariko. I am from the Ordona Province. My village was attacked, our children taken, and I left in search of them."

The Goron's face bubbled into a grin, his countenance more pleasing than the last Goron Link had seen attempting such a feat. "You have done well to come this far. You are strong … for a human. However" -his stare became as cold as a slap in the wind- "the mines beyond are sacred to my tribe. If it is your children you seek here, be at ease; they are not here. Outsiders are not allowed. Not your children. Not our friends in Kakariko. Not to you."

Gor Coron again began to turn away, but Link's rage overtook him. "Your _friends_ in Kakariko are dead!"

The Gorons, every last one, grew quiet. When Gor Coron faced the young Ordonian again, surprise and sadness covered his rocky features. "Dead?"

Link took a step forward. "Kakariko was also attacked. All but three were killed. They had no allies to aid them." Link's gaze hardened. "While you cower in your mountains, the kingdom falls into darkness." At that, the surrounding Gorons thundered and pounded their knuckles at such an insult.

Gor Coron stiffed his stare, hiding his grief under the cover of contempt, but Link had yet to break eye contact from the elder, and he had no intention of backing down. "I sympathize with Kakariko," the elder said at length, "but my duty must be to my people first."

"Sympathy will not stop this threat!" Link called back.

A low grumble bubbled from Gor Coron's belly, and he bellowed, "Gorons face a Goron problem! A puny human cannot understand." The anger in the elder's features was unmistakable, even to those unfamiliar with their tribe. The sudden assault of his explosive words made Link take a step back, but he quickly recovered.

"Let me help you."

The roar of laughter that ensued from the crowd sounded very much like a violent thunderstorm. Their deep, crackling voices bounced around the room and pounded against Link's sensitive ears. He wanted to clamp his hands over them, but he fought the urge, his head only voluntarily cocking to one side. He closed his eyes and clenched his teeth in response to the pain bursting through his head.

The elder watched Link the whole time, and in seeing him succumb to the strength of their voices, he, too gave a short laugh as Link struggled to open his eyes. Seeing the anguish in Link's eyes, the elder gave a wave of his jagged hand. "Return him to our border."

The two Gorons who had brought Link stepped forward, and just as their giant hands clasped around his arms again, Link yelled-as loud as he could. "I will prove my strength!"

Link heard the elder laugh again, but it was different this time. A delighted smile danced across the Goron's visage. He called to the Gorons, and they pushed Link out of their grasp. Link tumbled to the ground, and a new volley of laughter assaulted him. Gor Coron held up his short arms, and the crowd fell silent once more. He looked down at Link, revising his assessment of the small human. Link remained crouched there to recover and prepare for what might come. He turned his head up to face the elder, who scratched his painted belly. "I could make an exception with you … but you will have to beat me in a contest of power." He bore his sharp teeth with his next smile. "Are you willing, little human?"

Link rose. He smiled and raised a brow. "Quite."

The surrounding Gorons growled, and where some conveyed derision that the human boy even be allowed such a contest, others grew excited to see their elder pulverize this offensive human.

Gor Coron grinned and led Link to the center ring, and they each took up position facing one another at separate sides of the mat. The Goron flexed a leg high into the air as his brothers circled them to witness the coming match. Dust flew when Gor Coron slammed his foot back down onto the mat, and Link followed suit, showing the viewers only a certain extent of his lower strength. He saw many of them chuckle at his weak attempt and smiled inwardly.

Gor Coron hunched over, placing one fist on the mat, waiting to begin the contest. Link returned the Goron's stone stare and waited as a stump of a Goron came to the edge of the ring. In a shaky, higher-pitched voice than Link expected, the Goron called the start of the match. Link dodged quickly to the side when the elder launched forward. Link slapped him round the middle and grabbed for him, but the Goron reacted faster than he had anticipated. Before he realized it, he was being pushed back toward the edge. Link recovered from the shock of the bulky Goron's speed and struggled out of its viselike grip.

However, once Link had wrestled himself free, the Goron's palm impacted against his chest. The brute force of the hit made Link careen backward, but before the Goron could again grab hold of him, Link jumped to the side and grappled the rock man around the waist. He would have to use the momentum of the heavy Goron to his advantage.

He pushed as hard as he could.

Everyone watched with bated, raspy breath as Link shoved against the might of Gor Coron, as the elder stood upon the edge of the ring. Neither Link nor the Goron shifted as they pressed against the force of the other, at a surprising stalemate. Beads of sweat drenched Link's face and back. His arms quaked. All he needed was another inch and the Goron would falter. He dipped his head forward to better center his full strength, and it was then he saw his shadow flutter. Next moment, the edge of the ring cracked and broke under the weight of Gor Coron.

The Gorons round the ring, the guards at the door, and Link himself were all astounded when Gor Coron smashed against the chamber floor. Link dusted off his hands merely to hide his own bewilderment. He had not imagined that the rock people Bo had beaten long ago had been this tough, and he was only so glad that he had been able to ground the Goron so soon.

Now, he only prayed that the Goron would be honorable enough not to demand a rematch.

"Young warrior," the Goron spoke, and Link held his breath … hoping. "You have a strong will … and sharp eyes." Gor Coron rose from the ground, and Link hopped down from the ring. "Fine traits. I have misjudged you."

The Gorons dispersed from around the pair and lined up along the walls, out of the way as Gor Coron led Link back to the bottom of the stairs. As the Gorons talked among themselves and chomped on stones, Link watched the elder Goron's eyes, looking for any tell-tale signs of what he was thinking.

Finally, the Goron broke free of his contemplation, in which he had many a time cast Link a wondering thought. At last, he asked, "You wished to use your skills? To help the Gorons?"

Link nodded.

Gor Coron frowned. "You have seen it, I would bet. When the mountain began to rage, all four of us elders-including Darbus-went inside to investigate its anger. We have a treasure that was entrusted to us by the spirits" -Link could almost feel Midna's rise of lust for the object- "and we must protect it.

"For many generations it has remained safe, remained secret, but the moment Darbus reached out and touched the treasure … everything went wrong. He collapsed … and before our very eyes transformed into an unspeakable monster!" The horrid event seemed to replay in the eyes of his rock-wrinkled face. "He began to rage through the mines, trailing ruin behind him, and the eruptions grew more and more frequent and more severe. We used all of our strength to seal him deep inside the mountain. It … grieved us … to do this to our patriarch, but we had no other course of action."

Gor Coron shook loose of the memory into which he had momentarily collapsed and looked straight at Link, every reservation he had had of the youth stripped away with each humble word. "I, Gor Coron, on behalf of my clan, ask this favor of you, young warrior. Go to the aid of Darbus. Make no mistake," he said. "The spirits have guided you here."

_If you only knew_... though Link, and he wondered if the elder knew the true extent of his coming. Courage chiseled its way across Link's countenance as he replied, "I will do what I can."

The Gorons around the room bellowed, some in relief and others disapproval, but Link did not pay any mind to those that disliked lowering themselves to receive the assistance of a tiny human.

"You two!" the elder called to the guards. "Let the young warrior pass."

Link nodded to Gor Coron as he left the large man's side. He passed through the assembled Gorons and ignored the sporadic looks of disdain and ascended the stairs. The tunnel into the mines was long, narrow, and barely lit, making Link wonder how the bulky and squinty-eyed Gorons were able to pass through.

Before the Gorons behind him labeled his hesitance wrongly-as fear rather than curiosity-Link headed into the mines.

From his shadow below, he could hear Midna's snide remark, which only his ears were now able to pick up. "And _our_ reward … will be _your_ treasure..." Only after they passed into the darkness did Midna rise to Link's side.

He took a long look at her grin before returning his eyes to the path ahead. "The crack in the ring," he said. "That was you. You cheated."

Midna stuck out her proud chin. "Without my help that wouldn't have been a test of strength." She twirled in a balletic circle and hovered before his head, grin turning to smirk as he stopped in his tracks. "It would have been stupid." She then bounded ahead, her tiny shadow bouncing through the air and disappearing into the darkness. "Now come, come, my lonely little hero. We have treasure to find!" Never mind a Goron patriarch to save.

Gritting his teeth, Link followed her into the deep, dark black, wondering just when he could finally be rid of the nuisance that was Midna.


	17. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15: Common Ground**

Darkness did not reign for much longer as Link walked along the narrow tunnel. Heat began to creep into the passage, lighting his hair with invisible flames as sweat dripped from the ends of his locks and off the edge of his chin. His body smoldering in the new atmosphere, the weight of his shield, sword, and accessories-even his very clothing-seemed so much heavier. His muscles cringed under the pressure of the intense warmth, especially given that he had not fully recovered from the strain of trying to knock a Goron out of the ring. Link thought back to the spirit spring and how only last night he had bathed in its cool and gentle waters.

At long last the tunnel began to widen, opening up into a large cavern inside the mountain. Parts of the rock walls were melted away, lava falling into pools below from the intermittent cracks. The pressure in the chamber was so great that in a few spots, geysers of lava had formed, the red liquid spewing into the air every so often, splattering the crags that were still part of the ground. Where the lava had eaten away rock, the Gorons had constructed platforms of strong-but somewhat rusting-metal.

Wondering how he was expected to survive such a harsh atmosphere, Link grabbed for his waterskin, which he had thankfully refilled before he had set out. He took a quick sip of water that had already been warmed by the environment. He wished so desperately to splash some over his face, but he dared not to waste the precious commodity.

Cautiously, Link made his way across the rock and metal floor and the single metal pathway that led through a tunnel, lava churning below and rock looming above.

The path dove out into an even larger area. He stood ever so still as he took in every detail of the gigantic operating room. There were no Goron workers to speak of; however, huge cranes, turning wheels, and other heavy machinery were still active in the mines as if their creators were still present and controlling their every movement.

Link continued on his way across the many tiered platforms, finding his way to the nearest doorway. He traversed the area quickly, certain that if he remained in any one spot for too long, the heat would eventually wear on him. Down the slope of one metalwork platform, Link came to a door carved out of rock. He slid the door open and stepped into the next room.

Without any time to think, his reflexes were already taking action. A lizard beast, a dodongo, had leapt out of its pocket of rocks and steam to encroach on the invader, but Link had already leapt into the room and away from the beast before it had scuttled anywhere near him. It reared back its green head, gave a call that sounded much like a rasping cough, and blew flame from its snout, giving Link barely any time to roll out of the path of the blast. The lizard tossed its head, looking for its prey, but Link then came down upon its body, sword drawn.

But the sword only clanked against its green scales, and he realized that its rough carapace was too hard for his blade to pierce. Dancing around the creature and evading its explosions of flame, Link tried to locate some area of the beast that was not so well protected by the dull scales. When the creature turned about, searching, Link found its vulnerable area and grinned.

The lizard was beginning to turn back in his direction, but Link kicked a loose rock and the dodongo instead twisted around and puffed its raging fire on where it landed. As it was distracted, Link lunged, landing his blade into the red tail. Stunned by the sudden pain, the lizard writhed under the pressure of the sword, turning onto its backside. With the underbelly exposed momentarily, Link shook his weapon free of the bleeding extremity and plunged it straight into the reddened stomach. With a squealing twist, the dodongo writhed no more.

Now Link could observe his new surroundings in peace. Large gaps spotted the metalwork floor, lava surging upward from the holes. Obviously, the direct heat of the flares below had worn away the metal encasing the red liquid, and it seemed that the Gorons had left it in a state of reconstruction, pieces of metal sticking up in different places. The only moderately safe zone was a small rock path to the side, a faded green color emanating from the wall that rose up beside it. The watery shine of the wall made it appear crystalline in nature, and he wondered if it was this that the Gorons mined in this infernal place.

Link lifted his sword free of the dead dodongo and sheathed it before starting for the narrow path and the door that had been fashioned at the other side of the pit. Not even a few steps across the path, a piece of stone gave way from the weight of his foot, and Link leapt back against the wall and watched as the rock was engulfed in the pool of lava. He wiped the sweat from his brow, thankful that it had not been he who had tumbled into the fiery pit that hissed and licked hungrily at the walls.

When he tried to set on his way once more, he could not move; his back was glued to the wall.

Stunned at the impossibility of this, Link held his panic at bay. The ground beneath him was beginning to crumble. He flung an arm back to find to source of his entanglement and soon realized that his shield was the item holding him in place; however, it was not stuck on any rock along the wall. He tried moving backward to the ground he knew was safe, but he could only inch along at a slow pace, the shield shrieking as it scooted along the wall.

He at last returned to stable ground, ripping himself from the wall with a tiring effort, and he tumbled to the ground in a heap. He had cleared the rock path, which nearly completely shattered into the fiery pit. Bringing himself up, he removed his shield and found it scratched in many a place. Link frowned, seeing the triangles dented and feeling ashamed somehow. But then an idea came to him.

Link jerked off a piece of the damaged metal floor and threw it at the green-tinted wall. Shock consumed him as he saw it slap the rock but remain in place. A tiny spark fizzled between the wall and the object intermittently. This could not have been natural stonework; surely, it had been put in place by the Gorons. A smile crossed his lips as an idea came to him, and he peeked again toward the ravaged floor. He set down his shield and moved out to the platforms.

The task of ripping four identical slabs of metal from the floor had been far easier than Link had expected. The heated state of the material made it less tedious to tear and form it to his particular need; though, his fingers did receive a few burns. He brought the chunks-and a clump of hot rock-back to the safe zone where he had slain the dodongo beast and sat down beside his shield. He disrobed his feet and set to work.

Link placed the metal pieces and the rock down and removed his cap. Holding a boot upside-down between his legs, Link grabbed a piece of metal and positioned it at the toe of the boot. With his opposite hand covered by his hat, he scooped up the hot rock and ran it across the edges of the metal several times until it had been seared onto the shoe. Smiling at his work, he attached another piece to the heel of the same boot and then repeated the steps to his other leather boot.

When Link finished he threw the stone down and looked at his hat; scorch marks now embossed it. Shrugging, Link decided he was too hot to return it to his head anyway, and he tucked it into his belt for safekeeping.

"I hope you know that you just ruined a good pair of boots," snorted Midna, as Link stepped back into his boots, and he was compelled to send a silent apology to the warrior of old who had once walked within their leather confinement. He tested his new soles and, satisfied with his rushed work, decided to try them at their true purpose.

Link threw the shield over his back again and headed for the path. He lifted a foot tentatively to the greenish wall and felt the powerful suction vibrate through his foot as it was pulled to the vertical surface. He tried pulling it loose, and though he had to exert an incredible amount of strength to manage the feat, he was pleased. The shoes would serve their intended function.

Stepping onto the wall, one foot behind the other, he adjusted himself to the new style of sideways walking, feeling as if the higher side of his body were squishing into his lowered half. The heat from the pit below beat at his cheeks, and he propelled himself forward, awkwardly moving toward the other side. When he jerked one foot up, he had to continually correct his stance, for when he stood on one foot, his body arched downward.

By the time he reached the opposite side of the room and had removed himself from the wall, his calves ached and his thighs screamed. He took a few seconds to rub away the tightness, but quickly reminded himself that pain could not slow him down. He marched over to the door and opened it.

The room within looked like a shrine, nearly a mirror of the chamber in which he had met Gor Coron, but this one was much smaller and more cluttered. Books, statues, and carvings littered the high walls, and in the center of the room, a sumo mat had been built. Yet within that ring, a little clump of rock sat, smoke steaming out its top. As Link stepped farther into the room, however, the stone took another shape-that of a tiny Goron. Its back was the formation that had been spouting jets of fog, and at the top of its pointed head gushed more smoke from another geyser. The Goron's minuscule legs made Link wonder how the rock man could even stay upright without his knotted cane supporting him.

His old, bleary eyes looked up at Link. "I thought I felt a presence," uttered the Goron's ancient, cracking voice. "But what a surprise to find a young human. Why have you come?"

Link conveyed his audience with Gor Coron to the old Goron and told of his mission to help Darbus.

"Ah," the steaming man exclaimed with new life. "If Gor Coron has faith in you, then your heart must be true. I am Gor Amoto, one of the four Goron elders. If you are to lend this tribe your power, you will need this."

Gor Amoto passed a disassembled device into Link's hand. It was comprised of a long bluish cylinder and half a golden ring at the top.

"We elders had to lock our patriarch in a room deep within these mines," the Goron said, a watery sadness seeping into his words. "That is a shard of the key that, when merged together, will open the door. There are two other pieces of the key that you will need to obtain from the other elders within the mines."

"Thank you," breathed Link, stowing the key shard in the cap now hanging from his belt.

Gor Amoto nodded to the young human then turned about and slowly paced over to a corner. He sank back down into his lumpy form and made no noise except the low hum of the smoke rising from his cratered back.

===============

Link finally worked his way back to the room with the large cranes hanging overhead. He moved past a collection of stacked, metal crates and hung onto a railing as he studied the cranes. Their flat surfaces had been engineered with the same green magnetism as many of the walls. While some of the swinging arms were dormant, most of them were actively collecting crates from moving pathways and turning about to deposit the cargo to a higher level. Realizing all too late where he was standing, Link was pulled upward along with the top layer of crates in the pile beside him. It was he-pulled by his shield-who hit the crane first, and after shaking free from his daze, he quickly pulled himself upside-down onto the soles of his feet and leaned as far out as he could, hands over his head. The crates that had been sucked up alongside him, smacked into the crane, missing Link by a foot.

Looking behind him he was thankful the cargo had not crashed into him. Yet, then they were on the move, and he grabbed onto a side of one of the crates to brace his swaying body. They stopped about twenty meters above another level, and Link no longer felt the vibration at his feet. He pushed himself back from the crate, as he and the boxes fell toward the pile of cargo below. Hopefully, he could land on the rock beside the containers, for it would be smooth compared to the rough metal he would make contact with otherwise.

Unfortunately, Link crashed into the side of a crate and the sharp edge ripped a small but deep cut along his upper left arm. Link spun from his collision and landed facedown on the rock floor a few feet away. The crates that had been snatched up with him fell a safe distance away.

"That was graceful," giggled Midna.

Link picked himself up with a moan. He leaned against a crate, first holding his stomach. He then recognized the searing pain in his arm, and his hand flew to the wound where blood ran slowly down his skin. A hole had been worn into his green and white clothes and chain mail undergarment. Grimacing from the gash, he had nothing with which to bind it, and resolved that he would simply keep pressure on it with his hand until he found something else … or until he had to use it to defend himself.

Link limped a few meters away from the deposit until the pain in his foot had ebbed away. In front of him was another door, which he gladly passed through. On the other side was a room quite similar to the previous chamber, yet it expanded more outward rather than upward. He noted that this crane room was obviously older than the one now behind him, for there were some pathways and slopes built with wooden planks.

He made his way through the maze of wide, twisting platforms until he came to a chained door, having crossed decaying planks to reach it. With a shrug he lifted his blade from its sheath, a painful throb echoing through his arm, and cast the blade down upon the metal bindings. They fell loose from the sharp cut, and Link batted them aside to push the door open.

Darkness pervaded the next room, but to Link's lupine eyes the space was merely dimmed. He hardly paid any attention to his blue orbs' ability anymore, for though he still feared the thought of transformation into the beast, he had admitted to himself that the talents that had transferred into his human body were, in return, far worth the pain. He needed every asset, every strength, if he was going to continue on his journey to rid Hyrule of the unnatural darkness. It seemed somewhat ironic really, to combat darkness with darkness.

He noticed a frail figure lurking in the corner of the room, another Goron shrine, and as he stepped toward the slumped frame, it turned to him. This Goron was also small in stature, but only due to his back doubled over. A large rectangle face with a long and nearly toothless mouth looked up at Link's scratched face. "Oh…. A young human? Why have you come this far into our mines?"

Again Link explained his presence, and showed him the key shard that Gor Amoto had gifted to him.

The Goron squealed in delight. "I am Gor Ebizo. If you truly are here to help our tribe, then you will need my piece of the key."

Gor Ebizo handed Link a piece similar to the first.

Thanking the Goron, Link turned to leave, tucking the two shards into his hat. But at the quaking voice of Gor Ebizo, Link stopped. "There are dangers that line your path to reach the last elder. There is a weapon, left by an ancient hero, hidden up ahead in a cargo room. We have protected it through the generations, and it would help you on your way. But you will first need to speak with the guard." Gor Ebizo returned to his musings then, his back to Link.

Tilting his head as he watched the Goron, Link was slightly reminded of Midna. She also had a tendency to give him a piece of information and then disappear from conversation immediately afterward. Link wondered whether he should say anything or simply depart, and he soon opted for the latter, leaving the slouching Goron to his mumbles.

===============

Link marveled at the engineering of the next room, which had been carved cylindrically. Lava poured from the many cracks along the encompassing wall, creating a pit of fire below. The two sides of the chamber were the same, catwalks protruding outward from the opposing doors. They met in the middle by a large magnetic platform shaped circularly, the bottom doming downward. It looked almost like a crane head, only upside-down. Four massive and durable chains connected the platform to the ceiling that loomed high overhead. Crates of ore were stacked at one side, making the platform yield only slightly to that side. Below, the room was sectioned into layers, small coves lining the walkways cut into the rock. Metal platforms stretched out into the center of the room, hanging in the air as if awaiting the arrival of the magnetic centerpiece. Link assumed this was the storage room of which Gor Ebizo had told him. He could have stared in awe at the ingenuity of the Gorons for ages, eager to learn their ways of construction.

However, he had to move on.

Upon taking his first step onto the large ring, his feet buzzed to life and it became more difficult to move. Fortunately, he had become accustomed to exerting the necessary power for lifting them one step at a time.

Then a deep voice boomed across the chamber, "What business does a human have coming here?"

Link stopped all movement, and while he slowly reached for his sword-the nerves in his arm squirming from the wound-he cast his eyesight all about the room, looking down, up, and into every corner and crack.

"No business, I say!" the voice reverberated.

"I have come to help your tribe," argued Link, being sure to project his voice in a deeper octave. His eyes continued to search.

"This is a forbidden place!" the cruel tone echoed again.

"Gor Coron sent me," Link tried to reason. "Gor Ebizo told me-"

A laugh bellowed from the voice's hiding place, and a body emerged from the shadow of a boulder on a short cliff just above Link. The Goron's arms, back, and head were vastly armored, its hunks of metal casings making it seem twice the size of a normal Goron at its distance from Link, whose left hand crept up the scabbard at his back upon locating the mass of moving rock. "Puny talk from a puny human," the Goron said from behind a rusted silvery helmet.

The Goron then leapt from his perch and landed heavily onto the magnetic platform, and it quaked beneath his profound weight. Two opposing chains snapped causing the platform to collapse slightly, the deposit of fire and lava looking as ravenous as ever as it swung back and forth. The crates toppled, many falling into the abyss of fiery death. Fortunately, the two chains that still secured the platform above the pit were resilient enough to hold up the massive weight, but Link wondered … for how long?

Having fallen to his side from the impact, Link looked up at the now approaching Goron, who had the appearance of an armored boulder splattered with red paint. The strength the Goron must have possessed to be able to resist the force pulling on his armored shoulders was incredible.

"I don't want to fight you," shouted Link, a fire in his eyes.

The large sockets of the Goron stared back at him, amused. "No, of course not. Dangoro not let you pass." Dangoro rubbed his knuckles together and pounded one fist into the other, his cracking joints reminding Link of the threatening Gorons back in the summit of the mountain.

Dangoro waved Link to defend himself. Breaking free of his hesitation to bring unnecessary pain to the Goron tribe, Link pushed himself up, his shield sizzling as it parted from the platform. He drew his defenses, bringing his shield just below eyelevel and twirling his sword in his other sweaty palm. Dangoro reared back an arm and pulled his other in close. His fist crashed down, but Link leapt to the side, the hit landing on the platform and rocking it dangerously. The chains screamed as metal grated against metal.

Link slashed at the Goron's large arm, trying to sever its armor from its body as he had done with the ogre beast just the day before. His hope was to make certain his strength to the Goron, to prove himself, without causing the Goron mortal injuries. However, the rage Dangoro fought with made Link's attempts at half-hearted battle difficult.

The Goron pounded once more, narrowly missing the human's toes and shaking their support. The chains groaned for relief, and as Dangoro's attacks became more and more aggressive against Link and threatening the stability of the platform, Link was forced to abandon his battle plan.

But the green clad warrior's assaults were meaningless; he found himself unable again and again to break through the defensive arm that shielded the body of his foe. In that moment he was reminded of his last lesson with the ancient hero.

_… if a foe is clad in armor … the sword will do it no harm_... Link could clearly see the skeletal mouth moving. _Open a hole in your enemy's defenses and strike without hesitation!_

Resigning himself to the technique so that he could open up his enemy to attack, Link approached Dangoro cautiously, after he had missed Link once more. While the Goron was momentarily preoccupied with his anger, Link pounced, ramming his shield against the weight of the folded arm. He watched in amazement as the large boulder rolled backward onto his buttocks. Link slashed at the exposed rocky flesh, and steel clanked against stone. With a groan, Dangoro balled himself up, crashing down onto the platform.

Link could no longer reach any part of the Goron's body, for now the only rock exposed was shelled in metal. However, there was no need for Link to strike again because once Dangoro had forcefully pounded himself into a sphere, the platform had rocked and tipped.

Even with his own magnetism, the Goron's weight was too much for the armor to hold, and he slid from the green surface.

Link watched as the Goron fell toward the fires, but Dangoro unfurled his body and, with a sudden fright at realizing his doom, stretched out a thick arm. He caught onto a ledge but lost his grip and continued to fall until he caught onto another outcrop. He pulled himself up, but with the lava churning just meters below him, one of the shooting sparks landed atop his helm. Dangoro only fleetingly panicked and threw the mask from his head, exposing the smoothest round face Link had seen of a Goron. Dangoro started climbing up the wall, a deathly stare contaminating his features.

He had every intention to squash Link when he leapt up from a ledge and caught onto the careening edge of the magnetic platform, but when he had lifted his gargantuan body upward only partway, the tip of Link's sword met his throat. The blade did not pierce his stone skin, but simply rested there.

Dangoro looked up at the warrior. Link's cold gaze was just as menacing, perhaps even more so, than that of the Goron. Burns covered Link's cheeks and brow from being surrounded by the heat of the mines for so long, and his matted hair-spiked this way and that from collated sweat-made him appear like some demon. Dangoro realized his peril was unavoidable, that he had lost. Admitting defeat, the Goron commended Link, his stone eyes softening, "I did not know that humans were capable of such strength."

Link understood that this was his version of forfeiting and allowed Dangoro to rise and stand opposite him … however, he did not stow his blade just yet. "You are going to see the patriarch, yes?"

"That is my intention, yes," replied Link, still wary, though sheathing his blade. "As I was trying to tell you earlier."

Dangoro bowed in shame. It seemed that, though he was the guard, most of his strength lay in his pride and not his muscles. Link took the opportunity to convey his need of the weapon of the old hero and of Gor Ebizo's blessing.

The Goron considered the young man's request and finally bowed once more. "Come," said Dangoro, and he led Link off the wobbling platform to a door framed by two torches.

Link followed the Goron into the next room. It was filled with crate upon crate and was also home to many Goron artifacts. Dangoro ushered Link to a corner of the room. Leaning against the wall was a carved wooden box, decorated brilliantly with red stones. Opening the box with Dangoro's permission, Link picked up a long cylindrical package from its depths. He stripped back the lacings enclosing it at the top and slid out an ornately embossed bow. Dangoro lifted another item from the chest and handed it to Link. A quiver of brightly painted arrows with silver tips.

Link thanked Dangoro, pushed the bow back into its case, and slid both it and the quiver over his head and shoulder.

"You must save our patriarch," said Dangoro. When Link nodded, the large man added, "One of our elders is in a shrine just ahead. You should see him." And with a grunt, Dangoro backtracked into the previous room to repair the damage he had caused, but Link thought perhaps he would do so more to mend his shame.

===============

After passing through a crumbling room of pure rock and fire, stalactites threatening to break loose and fall down upon him, Link gladly crossed into the next room. His arm was pulsing from his brief altercation with Dangoro, and he cringed with the knowledge that he might need to use it again to save the Gorons' patriarch.

A red beam blasted Link, singeing his shoulder. With a yelp of pain, Link hopped behind a curved wall. He peered around the corner and saw five statues the same height as him. Their heads rotated, oddly, a glowing device-somewhat resembling an eye-centered on one side of each of their rectangular heads. _He could have warned me of a security system_, grumbled Link.

Link quickly turned back into his hiding place when the leftmost device spotted him and shot a red shaft toward him. The sparks destroyed a portion of the wall, and Link shielded his eyes from the dust. As the pebbles settled, Link pondered a way to bypass the red eyes of deathly vigilance.

Something rubbed against his back, and when he leaned forward to slap away the disturbance, he felt the case of his newly acquired weapon. Quickly, he removed the bow and retrieved an arrow from his quiver. As he nocked the shaft and pointed it carefully around the corner, he could remember hunting with such a device as a boy under the instruction of Rusl. He aimed directly at the circling head and waited, just as he had patiently sat all those many years ago when he had his game in sight.

When the eye came round, his fingers were quick. His arrow pierced the red socket, and the entire head ceased all movement. The other statues, being inanimate, paid no attention to the destruction of one of their own and continued scanning. Link readied another arrow, shifting himself.

His arrow cracked in two as it struck its intended target.

Link repeated the feat thrice more and moved out into the room, though, casting glances all about, preparing himself for any other assault that may surprise him.

However, the room seemed still now, and Link lowered his arm and began gathering the arrows that were still intact. Sparks flew about his head sporadically as the statues' last attempts at life failed. However, there was one statue that truly seemed to spring to life, for it moved forward, creeping toward Link as if every inch taken was torture to its rattling stone body.

Link raised his bow, nocked an arrow, and pulled back on the string in one swift, blurred motion.

Just before releasing the shaft, the stone ceased movement, and a thick, rocky powder swam through the air, settling around the sculpture.

Confused, Link stood frigid, arms still taut with bow and arrow.

An intricately tattooed and painted body appeared from behind the statue. Red beads danced about on a chain surrounding its neck, and an oddly shaped hat seemed glued to its head. It approached Link, and Link aimed higher when he realized the strange beast stood taller than him. Yet, its blue-painted lip uttered friendly words, "Ah, how you remind me of the old hero, standing there, holding the ancient weapon we Gorons have protected throughout the ages."

Squinting through the hazed room, Link lowered his bow only slightly, the rock man stopping before Link and bowing.

"I sensed you would be arriving," the Goron spoke in a smooth, peaceful voice-not at all like the Gorons with whom Link had previously spoken. The Goron frowned when he saw a burn mark on Link's shoulder, a wound Link had not realized he had suffered until now. "I must apologize," said the Goron of dark complexion. Then he turned back to Link, who had now tilted his weapon down completely; though, the arrow remained loosely nocked.

"I am Gor Liggs," he introduced.

"Link," the young warrior offered, still unsure.

Gor Liggs paid no attention and stretched out his hand. "I believe this is what you are searching for. Take it."

Link accepted that the Goron was one of the elders and that he posed no threat, and though his nerves were still aflame, he returned the arrow to his quiver and leaned the bow against his leg. Gor Liggs shoved his hand farther toward Link, and the young human lifted the final shard of the key into his hand. After marveling at its elaborate carvings, Link removed the other two from his dangling hat.

"Combine them," commanded a mystical tone from the Goron.

Link located each groove on the pieces and overlapped them onto one another until finally, the three pieces clicked and became whole again.

"A word of caution!" hissed Gor Liggs, and Link's head snapped up. "We elders do not know how powerful Darbus may have become in his grotesque form. I lay my trust in you, however, for your power has brought you this far." He looked gravely down at Link. "The locked door is just beyond the next room."

Link nodded and gazed at the key again, yet at a scuttling noise, he looked upward. Gor Liggs had turned and retreated back into his concealment.

===============

Link entered a room which boiled at the highest intensity he had yet experienced within the mines. There were two levels to the room; Link stood on the elevated end. A path sloped and curved about the right side. Link quickly scuttled down the metal planks and was seared immediately by the blazing heat when he came to a halt at the bottom. Lava swam only an inch below the edge of the now rocky plain. Sweat dripped down his face, and he could feel his white undergarments sticking to the flesh of his legs and arms and chest. Breathing deep, Link wiped his forehead and turned from the edge.

His bow was still at hand, ready at any moment to jerk an arrow from his quiver. In his left hand he held the newly reconstructed key.

Sunken into the stone, a massive door echoed the pain confined within. A representation of the Goron's most sacred jewel loomed above it: the ruby. Chains as thick as Dangoro's arms made entry impossible; however, Link set his bow against the door, behind the restraints, and slid the key into the central lock at which all the chains were interconnected. Link turned the device about slowly, and with each slight twist, the metal ropes fell to slap against the wall or floor. When the last chain fell, its descent to the floor rang through Link. It was the last link that had protected him from the horrors waiting beyond the mass, and now, there was no longer an excuse to keep him from crossing the threshold.

Link dropped the key to the floor and picked up his bow. He returned the weapon to its case but did not lace it lest he need it. He drew his saber, took a deep breath, and pushed in on the central piece of the door. It creaked inward.

An eerie dark tinted the circular chamber. With his enhanced vision, Link could make out beautiful white pillars, carved in Goron script, encircling the area. It appeared to be another of the Gorons' shrines that had been built into the mines. Glittering objects caught his attention and he looked to the floor.

More chains. These were attached to the walls and led out to a figure standing dormant at the center of the shrine. Link brought his gaze upward and followed the figure's shape until he saw two more identical chains hanging down from the ceiling and circling the wrists of the body.

The darkened figure stood nearly as tall as the pillars, meters and meters above Link. Claws inched out of every tip of each finger and toe. Its head hung down, as if sleeping, and bore a carapace of hard tusks. Rough rasps of breath came from its lungs … breathing that soon took on more life.

A brightness shimmered on the top of its slumped head. Link took a step toward it to see that its red eyes were now open and gazing outward. At the smell of the tiny human, the mouth spread wide in a deathly roar, echoing long weeks-maybe months-of isolated torture. Teeth as long as Link's arms sprung wetly from its gums, desperate for sustenance. The creature began to calm, and Link took a step backward.

"…Darbus?" asked Link.

At the mention of the name, the beast began to writhe and tug on its restraints, and it screamed at Link, its face stretching down just inches from him. Its bottled anger burst forth to ignite itself. Fires raced up and down its body like rivers of blazing tears; though, its flesh seemed oddly protected from the deadliness of such an affliction. With the flames bouncing around its frame, a new light pierced the room and gave wicked life to the bare walls.

With another few yanks, the chains about its hands broke away, one at the wrist, the other at the ceiling. It stomped forward and the chains in the walls gave way. The flares toying with Darbus laughed cruelly at Link, and the monster immediately threw a clawed hand toward him, sending him sideways into a pillar. Link picked himself up quickly, holding his hip, and dashed behind the white column. Desperately, Link tried to think as Darbus roared again, shuffling toward him.

He tried calling out to Darbus, but the hissing redness forced two words to combine when he spoke, "Fire-us! Stop!" But once Darbus reached Link's hiding place, it slashed out again, the pillar crumbling to the floor.

Link had rolled away and run behind another pillar, stalling for time until he decided what he was going to do. He peeked around the beam and watched as the monster sniffed at his trail. Then he noticed something odd about the headpiece it wore and was reminded suddenly of Midna. A part of the carapace was made up of a Fused Shadow, the treasure that had undoubtedly been the object of his transformation … and what Midna was truly after.

_But there's no way I can get to it!_ Link shouted at himself. Then the thought occurred. _Not with a sword anyway..._

Link sheathed his sword and pulled out his bow, nocking an arrow. He aimed at Darbus the moment the creature had spotted him. Growling, it drew nearer, but Link pushed away all fear and kept his stance. Once the monster was close enough, he let the shaft fly.

Darbus's forehead was struck by the blast, and it was momentarily blinded with pain. Link climbed the pillar next to him, and once he was perched on the top, he leapt for the dangling chain to which Darbus had once been attached. He seized the rope of metal links and swung straight for the creature's head, releasing his grip once he was directly overhead.

Landing hard on the uneven surface, Link immediately started pulling at the section of the helm that he needed and which would likely free Darbus from his terrible fate once released from its menace. However, once Link had obtained a firm grasp on the Shadow, the monster tossed its head, and he was thrown off.

Link crashed hard against the floor and a spurt of blood shot from his mouth, but he did not yield to the pain; he propelled himself backward as Darbus approached … even more furious than before. He dodged as the chain bound to its one wrist flailed about, nearly slapping across Link's face several times. Frantically, Link righted himself and leaned against a pillar. He racked his brain for an answer, and only one solution presented itself.

_If you can't stop the big fiery monster, destroy things like the big fiery monster..._

Link wound around the back of the column and pushed his back up against it, and since it was so near to the wall, Link utilized its help and pressed a foot to it for leverage. He rammed all his strength into the pillar, but, like the Goron elder, it would not yield. Then, just as she had done with Gor Coron, Midna popped out to zap the base of the column. Finally, Link heard the satisfying crack and skid that told him it was beginning to tip. He pushed harder until he could assure himself that it would fall the rest of the way on its own. He stowed his bow back into its container and slid out his sword.

"What are you doing?" screamed Midna angrily, reading Link's intentions and jumping in front of him. "You're going to end up killing him!"

"Since when did you care about anything except yourself?" Link shouted in return before he could stop himself, and he raced through the cloud of shadow clinging around her small, dark frame.

Darbus had fallen facedown onto the floor, pressed underneath the enormous white shards that had once been a pillar. With leaps from the broken pieces of the pillar, Link landed onto the large carapace. Ignoring the countless boisterous objections from Darbus, Link steadied himself on the swiveling head. He stabbed his saber as carefully as possible into the headpiece and began working the Fused Shadow free.

After minutes of impatiently weaving his blade about the ancient piece, the Shadow broke off into his opposite hand. Immediately, there was a low grumble, and the walls began to quake. Link leapt off the monster and tucked the precious artifact against his chest. He could feel a darkness emanating from within it, and a strange coldness crept up his breast. He broke free of the odd feeling when Darbus stood and began struggling against an unknowable force.

All at once the eyes stopped glowing in rage, and the body shrunk, toppling over in the shape of a Goron. Link knelt at his side.

"Is he …?" started Midna.

"He's alive," returned Link, but then he rose, turned on Midna, and glowered at her. "I think it's time you told me exactly what these Fused Shadows are," he demanded, still holding the newly acquired piece tightly within his folded arms. "Faron said the spirits locked them away, said it was a forbidden power. I don't understand why you need it. Look at what it did to Darbus!"

Midna gazed down at the unconscious patriarch. She caught her sympathy before it consumed her eye as she turned back to Link. "I'll tell you a story," she sneered. Then her eye clouded, trying to find a place to begin.

"Zant..." Her voice shook with anger at the name. "That is the name of the King of Shadows who has cast this pall of shadows over your world. He's quite strong." Midna approached Link and grinned ominously. "You would be nothing to him in your current state. But Zant … will _never_ be my King! I have nothing but scorn for his supposed strength."

She turned her back on Link. "Not that your Zelda is much better. It still appalls me that this world of light is controlled by that princess. A carefree youth … a life of luxury..." Her voice trailed off. Though her thoughts were unknown to Link, he could feel a well of misery undulating from her tone, as if she were … envious... "How does that teach duty?" she asked, trying to snap herself free of whatever emotions had cascaded into her.

Midna partly turned back to face Link, but still did not look him in the eye, for she had been unsuccessful in liberating her strange emotions from her outward appearance. "But I guess I shouldn't begrudge her the circumstances of her life. She didn't choose it, after all. And I would never wish harm on her...

"No, as long as I can get my hands on the Fused Shadows," said Midna, looking at him, "I'll be just fine."

They shared a glance then. It was the first time that they had truly looked at one another, and though Midna had not directly answered his inquiries, he understood. She sympathized with Zelda, with the world of light, but she still only had an eye for helping herself. She wanted the Shadows to dismiss Zant from power, the king that she resented. And although she was outwardly selfish, Link saw something in her in that moment. Something foreign to her. A sparkle of courage … one that might, someday, outshine his.

They were beginning to become more like one another than they realized-or more than they cared to admit. While Midna had taken on new perspectives of the light world and its inhabitants, Link had become more independent and rebellious. Neither of them were sure that they liked these new facets of themselves, but they could not remold themselves into what they had been before their first encounter.

In that moment they truly became … partners. Though they still did not absolutely trust each other, they had reached a common understanding, one that led them both to take another step forward.

Facing Link, Midna lowered her gaze, and a hidden pain overtook her. Link stretched out an arm and took her hand in his. She blinked, looking up at his hand and then to him. He was holding the Fused Shadow out to her.

She accepted it and then looked back at him. His stare was blank, but she could see beyond the plain façade. He was devoted to the same cause. They both craved the destruction of Zant, King of Shadows.

Link turned then and headed for the door. With a snap of her fingers, Midna passed the Fused Shadow into the dimension of her magic and trailed behind him. She whirled about to come to pace with him at his side.

"So, when do I get a thank you for making sure you won that match?" she hissed with a grin.

The memory of Midna making him cheat against Gor Coron came back to him. Link gave her a sidelong glance before clearing his throat. "Don't get greedy."

No matter his efforts, Midna could see the tug of an honest grin at his lips, and her giggle echoed as she disappeared into the wake of his footsteps.


	18. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16: The Fifth Ordonian**

After Link had returned to Gor Coron, he spent an hour receiving the Gorons' thanks and requests to tell of his journey within their mines. Though he was battered and fatigued, Link recounted the events, leaving out only certain details … such as what had happened to their sacred treasure. In Link's silence at the question of whether it had been left intact, the Gorons read his expression falsely, believing that his reluctance to reply was due to his shame in its destruction. Link let them believe so, for it was in their best interests that they not know he was collecting the ancient treasures...

By the time Link managed to politely pry himself from the Gorons' presence, he was ready to collapse, but he refused to allow the exhaustion to best him; he thought it would insult the Goron tribe.

As Gor Coron and several others dove into the mines to retrieve Darbus, Link stepped outside.

Evening had dawned, spectral colors skipping through the skies above. With a grunt Link sat on the ledge, recharging strength for his upcoming descent. _Why can't they escort me back down?_ he chuckled to himself. With a wearied suspiration, he looked across the rocky range. He had not appreciated the beauty of the mountains until now … when all was settled, calm. The threat was over and it was then that Link saw the reflection of sky rippling peacefully against every peak and mountainside.

_But there is one last Fused Shadow to be found_, he reminded himself at length.

It was time to move on.

Link hummed as he gathered himself up. He took one last look at the mountains below. They were so radiant, and yet it brought a frown to his lips. There were so many provinces to which he had never ventured, and now, even in saving this mountain country from darkness, he could not even spare the time to explore its great wonder.

_I suppose it'll be like this everywhere I go_, he mused.

He spun on his heel to leave. "But I'll come back to see a sunset like this again … when it's all over..."

===============

Night reigned when Link had finally escaped the mountains to enter Kakariko Village once again. His limbs shook with pain and his shoulder injury had worsened. The sight of the familiar village brought a smile to his face.

Dangling her feet over the porch of the inn, Luda held out apple bits to Epona, who nibbled up each in turn. Once Luda caught sight of Link, she leapt down to welcome him back; however, she frowned upon seeing his battered face and singed clothing. "Come, my father wished to see you the moment you returned." Link was impressed, and concerned, by the quiet ease with which she responded to his appearance. Then again, he had sensed a dull gleam in her eye the moment Renado had introduced her, the kind of tarnish left from being conditioned to such brutality.

She led him up the stairs and quickly ushered him inside. Link made an effort not to wince when she accidentally and unknowingly rubbed up against his sore hip when entering the house. "Father!" she called up the stairs as she and Link ascended.

Renado peeked out of the room where Link had left Colin after the bulblin attack and met them at the stairs. If the shaman was alarmed at Link's bloodied and burned appearance, he did well to mask his concern. "Link-"

"How is Colin?" he asked hastily.

Renado smiled. "Nothing more than bruises."

Link nodded but swallowed hard, wishing there had been more he could have done to prevent even that.

"He'll be fine, Link," added the shaman, seeing the distress in his eyes. "He woke a few hours ago. He wanted to speak with you."

"Thank you," said Link, and he brushed past. Without thinking, he brought a hand to his chest in an attempt to lessen the beating pain that thumped against his ribs. Renado and Luda watched as he disappeared into the room, concerned.

As soon as Link entered the room, Colin-who had been lying down in bed-hurled the covers from his body and ran to him. Disregarding his own discomfort, Link knelt down to catch the boy when his weak legs forfeited their support. "Are you all right?" asked Link.

Colin looked up at him; the bruises of his capture still discolored his face, and Link's brows tightened as he tried to hide the sadness in his eyes. He brushed a hand through the boy's bangs, taking in the full extent of the damage the ogre had caused.

Colin was more pained at seeing Link's battered appearance. "What happened to you?" he asked, as a trail of blood slipped out the corner of his big brother's mouth and drizzled down his chin-the aftermath of one of Darbus's rather brutal hits. Colin scurried to grab a towel from his bedside.

Link smiled as Colin dabbed at the dribble of blood, but Link took the cloth from him as he clapped a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Don't you worry about me." Link grunted as he got to his feet and steered Colin to the edge of the bed. Link's back cracked as he sat, but breathed a restful sigh through a wince as he took to wiping at his knuckles with the cloth. "Renado said you wanted to talk to me."

Colin's lips puckered and his throat went dry. "It's about Ilia," he said quietly.

Link's head snapped to the side, looking directly at the boy. "What about Ilia? Do you know where she was taken?" His heart soared.

"Those monsters left me with the others," started Colin, "but Ilia…. All I know is that they headed north."

Link looked from Colin to his scratched fingers, the flesh burnt slightly from the task of reshaping his boots.

"Whenever I thought I couldn't go on," Link heard the boy saying, "I would think of you and Ilia and hold on." Colin took a breath. "Do you remember what I told you back in Ordon, Link?"

Link grinned. "That when you grow up, you're going to be just like me." Yet, his smirk faded. _But look at me; I don't want you to be like this. I don't want to see you get hurt anymore._

"So, I'm fine now. You don't have to worry about me anymore." Link returned his gaze to Rusl's son and, to his surprise, saw a reflection of himself. Colin's blue eyes seemed as fierce and as strong, and his golden locks framed his face like the mane of a great lion. The innocent boy within Colin had disappeared.

Link assured himself that Colin indeed was safe without his protection, and his trust in Colin's abilities and unwillingness to lie defeated gave Link the kind of strength that he himself needed, for though Link's body sat in a deep and painful exhaustion, seeing hope ebb and flow in his twin oceans empowered him. As Link stood he kept the smarting ache in his hip at bay. He refused to stagger before the son of the blacksmith.

"When next I return to Kakariko," said Link, his eyes burning with the abated distress in his heart, "it will be with Ilia."

Colin stared up at him, sad yet confident in Link's vow.

Link, however, could not bear another mention of Ilia. The pain he would feel if he could not find her … if he would end up shattering his promise...

He left the room without another word or glance toward Colin. Link heard him squeeze back under his covers to sleep through the night, and when Link knew he was alone, he leaned against the wall at the top of the stairs and cringed, holding back a bellow of torment. His shoulder and hip pulsed like toxic rain tearing at his bones, and his chest heaved under the pressure of his screaming muscles. His face-burnt by the lava's heat as if it had been the sun itself and scratched along the chin, cheeks, and temples-seemed to scream its own miserable song, humming inside his nerves like the constant vibrations of the cranes inside the mines.

Renado then appeared at the top of the staircase and looked apprehensively toward the drooped frame of Link. The young warrior immediately tried to right himself. "I did not think it wise for you enter the mountain pass those days ago," began Renado, "but I misjudged you then." The shaman fell into a reverie, and a smile caught his lips. "In Hyrule, countless tales are told of the ancient hero … and your deeds bring them all to mind. But even heroes need help sometimes … and rest."

Link smiled, his mouth cracking through the blood drying against his chin. Renado looked toward the door of Colin's room. "You have so many demands upon you now, Link, and I think it is your destiny to help this land. Do not let the fates of the children trouble you. I will watch over them. I swear it.

"For now, however," the shaman said, turning back to Link, "you must cleanse your wounds and take a day of rest." Renado's lips broadened. "Come, I'll take you to the hot springs above the village."

Link had no strength left to thank the shaman, showing his gratefulness by accepting his help out of the house and up a rocky path of the mountain village. When they reached the hot spring, Luda sat waiting, bandages, towels, and mashed herbs at her feet. The young girl helped Link in removing his weapons and belts as her father began sorting through the bowls of medicine.

Once Link had stripped down to his white leggings, he blissfully sank into the deep waters of the spring. Steam rushed over him as he submerged himself to his shoulders, sitting on a rocky ledge in the water. He splashed away the blood clinging to his mouth and chin and leaned his head back onto the edge above the water.

Renado dabbed two fingers into a medicine bowl and leaned over Link. He chuckled softly when he realized Link had fallen asleep.

However, it was no light matter. The shaman's grin disappeared. Link had tired by the end of one day within the mines of the Goron tribe, and he had sustained such brutal injuries. Surely there were far worse situations into which the young warrior would be cast, and he feared that Link's path would force him into a corner … that the youth who had saved Kakariko Village and purged the rage of the Gorons would one day enter a fight he would not be able to win. The thought sent shivers down the shaman's spine.

Would Link, the heroic youth from Ordon, suffer at the hands of the gods? Would he suffer the very fate from which he tried to save so many?

A half hour later, they moved Link and his belongings to Renado's room. As Luda took the soldier's garments and set to work mending them, the shaman visited the sanctuary. There, he prayed to the gods.

===============

Link woke to Malo and Colin sitting at his bedside. The former was holding Link's bow and ogling over its intricate carvings. The latter ran out of the room yelling something that resembled "He's awake!"

Groaning, Link pulled himself up to lean against the wall behind the bed. Body bare save for the blankets that covered his lower half, he looked over himself. A bandage concealed the wound of his shoulder, but the pain the rest of his injuries had caused seemed to have evaporated.

He looked up at Renado when the shaman entered the room, Colin standing at his side. "How long have I-?"

"Nearly two days," he said, and at Link's dismay, he added, "but it was rest well needed."

"I need to be going. Where are my clothes?"

"Here," the shaman said, pointing to a chair with all his articles draped over its back; his gauntlets, belts, and hat relaxed in the seat and his boots bowed against a leg. "My daughter tried to mend your clothes as best she could." Renado looked to the boys then, "Come along, Colin, Malo."

As Malo set Link's bow onto the bed, he whispered, "Where did you get this? Can you really shoot it? How far off can you hit a target? Can you show Talo and me?" Link was glad to see this side of Malo again after all that had happened to him and the others. He found hope in seeing a strand of their innocence yet to be unraveled.

Yet before Link could answer, Renado hushed him and prodded him out. Link gave the boys a wink before they turned from the room. He then climbed out of the bed and examined his clothes. His white and green clothes still bore their black marks, but they had been stitched so that the holes were no more. His hat still bore its scorch mark as well. Link shrugged and began dressing.

===============

Kakariko village was a much different place as Link surveyed it, stepping out of the shadow of Renado's doorstep. Some of the mountain tribe had come down from their lands and were clogging the thoroughfare of the town. Link noticed Gor Liggs himself sitting comfortably and meditating on the porch of a house, which looked like a rundown mart, to the left of Renado's new accommodations.

He approached Epona, reins tied to the railing of the house. It was the first time he had been able to slow down and sort through the bundles she carried. He came across the frail sword he had intended to take on his journey to Hyrule Castle, an effortless journey to deliver his new weapon and the shield now floating as ashes in the wind to the royal family. It had only been a short time since he had been a simple rancher, and now…. It was still hard for him to believe the quest into which he had been thrown.

He untied Epona and sent her off toward the spring. She gladly obeyed and cantered over for a drink of water. At the sight of the water, Link could hear a faint whisper, a sing-song melody. No words were audible but somehow he understood the tune. Within his soul he could feel the spirit's message, which spoke of the northern lands of Lanayru and of Ilia. At the thought of finding her, Link glanced down, admiring his old sword like an adult might admire a favorite toy from decades past. Only a short time on the road and still it felt like ages since he was ignorant and happy.

Looking up from his memories, he spotted another Goron, who carried quite a large crate, entering Barnes's house and shop across the street. Curious, Link followed.

Inside Barnes's house the Goron clambered up the winding stairs on Barnes's order. Barnes, who remained downstairs, stood on the opposite side of a counter. He loaded tiny round balls from a pail into a drawer on a nearby shelf. It was then that the paranoid man, feeling eyes on his back, whipped around to face Link.

"Oh!" Barnes was immediately flustered. The bumbling man apparently knew what the young hero thought of him-the village idiot. But Link simply thought of him as nothing else than a coward, an often times amusing one at that. "Renado told me how you persuaded the Gorons, and well-ahem-I suppose I _should_ thank you," he said, trying to act professional in his haste to get rid of Link so that he did not feel so embarrassed. "When the Gorons wouldn't have anything to do with us, I had nothing left. My business is run out of the ore they bring down, you see." A glimmer of childish enthusiasm flickered in his eyes. "Would you" -he held up one of the orbs- "care for a demonstration?"

Link, unsure what the sphere was even supposed to be used for, had no say in the matter, for Barnes led him up the clunky staircase and out an elevated back door before Link could respond-or even consider the question.

Barnes placed the tiny ball next to a boulder, lit a frail cord at its top on fire, and ran back inside the house. Link, squinting at the device and dwindling string, did not know what the function of this object could be, and its inaction befuddled him. Only when Barnes yanked him back, swearing under his breath, did he realize it was supposed to be dangerous. Link could not see how it could possibly be-

Debris exploded at the door and a booming rattle filled his ears so loudly that he clamped his hands over them. His ears whined in the aftermath, and Link ran his fingers over his earlobes, sure that his eardrums had burst and were bleeding. There was no damage, however, and Link blinked back the pain and shook the song from his ears. Directly where the sphere had been situated, a cloud of dust rose into the air and expanded outward with the moving breeze. After the brown haze cleared, Link observed that the boulder had disappeared and a mild crater had indented the ground where the stone had been. Smaller bits of rock now dotted the area.

He turned to Barnes, who only giggled wildly. "What-?" Link started.

"A bomb!" answered the lanky man. "And I have plenty more."

Barnes led him back through his shop to the downstairs counter, smiling insanely to himself. He loaded three of the bombs into a small sack and handed it to Link. "A gift," said Barnes irritably. "But if you ever want more, they won't be free of charge!"

Understanding the abrupt dismissal, Link took his leave of the bomb maker's shop, only partly regretting he had entered in the first place. After all, the new weapons might serve him well on his journey. He tucked the sack into the pouch on the back of his belt. Looking up, he saw Renado and the children exiting the sanctuary and inn. Link met them before they reached the thick of the crowded street.

"May the graces of the great goddesses who shaped Hyrule bear you on your way," said Renado as he bowed. Oddly, the shaman seemed wiser than before he had been when Link had fallen asleep two days ago. Link wondered how it was the man's eyes seemed to sparkle with a keener understanding, but Link shoved off his questions when he looked to the faces of the children.

A wordless farewell lodged itself between them, but Link broke their stares by gazing down at the frail sword he realized he still carried. He cleared his throat and looked directly at Talo. "I won't be needing this anymore. I'm sure the four of you could find better use for it."

To Link's delight the boy stepped forward and took the weapon graciously. Talo did not know how to accept the gift and broke the silence with a whisper. "So … can you really shoot that bow? How about that pole on top the lookout tower?" he asked, pointing to the highest roof up in the mountains at the northern side of town.

Link nearly laughed aloud but contained it. Beth elbowed Talo and he fell silent, yet hopeful. She looked up at Link with large, admiring eyes.

Link passed on his thanks to Renado and Luda and gave a short goodbye to the children. He hated goodbyes and hoped he would never have to suffer through one more terrible than his abrupt and violent farewell to Ilia.

He whistled for Epona with her favorite melody. She cantered toward him and slowed only just enough for Link to leap aboard the saddle before launching into a full gallop. Link did not turn in his seat to wave but removed his bow from its case and shot an arrow to the pole atop the high tower. It struck its target at the very tip and wobbled at the sudden stop.

Link smiled when he heard the jubilant screams of Malo and Talo behind him.

===============

Link and Epona traveled quickly through the familiar territory of the field north of the village. He tossed his gaze about the terrain often, watching for any sign of ambush, for the memory of the bulblin onslaught was still fresh and potent in his mind.

Link was glad he had his horse again, for he did not know how far the next barrier of twilight would be, and he did not fancy another long walk through the open fields. That, and the absence of Epona had disheartened him. She was his closest friend. The only difference was in the language that they spoke. Words were not important as long as feelings could be understood. He wondered if his friendship with Epona had been the thing that had defined his views on interaction with people as well; "quiet" was, after all, the word commonly used to describe him among the villagers of Ordon.

Epona broke through the shattered pile of burnt wood and galloped at her mightiest speed. It seemed she, too, wished to find Ilia. Yet as they crossed the middle of the bridge, Link felt a strange bump at his back. He brought Epona to a halt and lifted a hand to his backside. The pouch there had become lighter, and he fearfully turned about, spotting one of the small bombs rolling and bouncing backward across the bridge. It struck the stone upside-down, and its fuse began dwindling, ignited by the hit.

Eyes wide, Link froze, panicked.

"What are you doing?" shouted Midna. After such a long silence, her sudden voice jolted him into motion as she screamed. "MOVE!"

Just as the bomb exploded, Link slapped the reins to outrace the detonation. When Link passed the archway and hoof met solid ground once more, he halted Epona and turned her about partway. Stone buckled and the bridge crumbled. Link watched, mouth agape as, stone by stone, the bridge turned to dust before his eyes, the blocks falling in droves-like swarms of keese tumbling through the sky-into the bottomless abyss before his feet. By the time the echo of the stones falling and crashing into the rocks below bellowed upward and reverberated through the canyon, a grey powder poisoned the air like an ethereal mist.

Link looked away, wincing, to see the blackened face of Midna. She crossed her arms. "You are honestly the clumsiest hero I have ever met."

Shoving off her remark, Link continued on his path. He would concern himself on how to return to Kakariko once he had found Ilia.

Link passed through the grey surroundings quickly, the mountains bleak and uninviting. He sought out any sign of the twilight barrier that surely existed on the border of the Lanayru province, and after crossing a short wooden bridge and dispatching the bulblin guard that brandished its weapon, Link spotted the orange-tinted blackness that rose up from the ground, encasing the land beyond in a dark terror.

He dismounted Epona and instructed her to find a way back to Kakariko. He then approached the veil of dark flames.

"Ah, finally here," breathed Midna at Link's side, her one red eye staring into the tumultuous haze. "Only one Fused Shadow left. So, this … is the last of the twilight you'll see, I guess…." A slight quiet came over her words, a soft farewell to the unnatural darkness preparing itself within her. Yet, all of a sudden, the Midna that Link knew resurfaced, the haughty and selfish side. "Whether or not you accomplish your final task and survive is up to you."

Link could barely see her arms fold when she turned to him. "So, shall we enter the twilight?"

Hesitation did not exist anymore. Link nodded, and braced his body for the coming mutilation.

===============

The crunching torture of the transformation never dwindled in power, yet the act in itself Link had come to no longer fear. If it had not been the wish of the gods for him to mutate into the beastly creature, he would have been like all else in the foreboding darkness, a wandering, lost spirit to forever drift through life drowned by the fear of the unknown. His back buckled and broke and reformed in a more prominent arch, and he felt the teeth within his mouth stretch. All his garments and accessories became extensions of his body, and a furry coat of grey, black, and silvery white grew at an accelerated rate from these additions as well as from his now quite tanned flesh.

Standing upon his four legs, it took him less time to recuperate from the trauma than the two previous metamorphoses. Midna had watched his changing body, and Link, this time, caught a trace of emotion in her eye when he glanced her way. The instant she knew he was watching she clouded her feelings and narrowed her eye in her usual half-snarl. To dismiss the subject further she hopped onto his backside, prodding him along.

Link followed her unvoiced instruction and tried to ignore the sparkle he had seen within her. She had seemed almost … human. Sympathetic. Sad. And Link sensed something else. She had looked at him so sorrowfully, so guiltily, as if … she were responsible somehow. Midna now seemed perturbed by how he had to suffer; he was nearly certain of it, but even if he asked her, she would never resign to her hidden truths.

However, her bond with the twilight was strong for some reason, and perhaps it was this struggle that pained her when she had looked at him. The struggle over whether she valued Link more than the unnatural darkness. Which attachment was stronger within her?

"What a shame that this is the last of the twilight. I'd become so fond of seeing it covering this world..." murmured Midna. Perhaps it was her own cruel version of hope that she added, "Or is it really the last time we'll see it?" It seemed she forced herself to laugh, for it did not sound as unforgiving as most of her chuckles.

Yes, the twilight held a special place within Midna. Why, Link could not even begin to guess. He had a sinking feeling that one day, either soon or quite distant, that Midna would have to choose one or the other…. And when that day came … where would her loyalty lie? With the venomous void that suffocated and enslaved a kingdom, or with the one soul who gave everything to prevent its tyranny?

But he set all his thoughts aside when he tripped over a rock in the road. By his animal instinct, he barked at it after righting himself, yet there was something peculiar about this rock. It was not ordinary for stones to be shaped in such a way. Closer inspection revealed a tiny leather pouch, one that smelled of fresh hay and the wildflowers outside Ilia's window.

Ilia!

The pouch belonged to Ilia.

_… Link, can you promise me this? …don't try to do anything out of your league... Just come home safely ..._

He could hear her words so clearly, see her so perfectly. That warm smile... Her gentle, caring embrace...

"You smell that girl, don't you?" said Midna knowingly. "But remember, this scent could be quite old."

Link shook free of his memories, ignoring all chances that he would be led to a dead end, and set down on his path, registering her scent within his nostrils and following the trail that would lead him to Ilia, the fifth and last Ordonian who had been taken.

===============

Even though they were merely spirits of glowing green unable to be heard unless Link strained his ears, Link was awestruck at the sight of all the inhabitants in what Midna had called Hyrule Castle Town. That, however, Link could have deduced on his own, for the castle in which he had met Princess Zelda loomed behind the city.

Sight-seeing, though, was not why Link had entered the town. Ilia's scent led him down many a tight road, and he ignored the bobbing green lights as they traveled about their day, obviously unaware of the gravity of their circumstance. Their voices lit the air like the distortions water might cause, a muffled vibration combined with the occasional pulsing laughter that sounded strangled, as if one were opening and closing their ears again and again in quick succession.

Finally, after stepping out of a Hylian guard's way, Link came to a house built into the same wall as the houses beside it, just as most of the houses in Castle Town had been constructed. Link read the sign beside the partly open door which proclaimed the premises as _Telma's Bar_.

As a guard exited, Link entered, his skin crawling with a nervous tickle.

Off to the right, a bar stretched the length of the wall; the main floor of the tavern expanded to his left. Upon a makeshift bed of boxes lay an oddly proportioned boy with pale blue skin whose breath came in rasps. Small fins protruded from his arms, and a kind of tail stretched back from the bridge of his nose, reminding Link of the shape of the hero's cap he had inherited. The boy's feet appeared as thin flippers, and upon closer inspection, the smooth skin covering the boy was in fact a shinning, slimy surface of scales. He had never encountered such a creature.

Standing alongside the boy was a woman who Link guessed was the barkeep and…. Did his eyes deceive him? After all these days...

Ilia sat right in front of him.

Link stepped up to her, and barked … but Ilia could not hear him; she continued to stare at the boy. "This boy," said Ilia, and her soft voice resounded in Link's ears. He wanted to store the hum of her voice within him forever. "Can you save him?"

Link had not truly understood the urgency in her query until the barkeep answered, and he was pulled violently from his yearnings. "All right, little lady, try to settle down," the plump woman was saying. "I've sent for the doctor. But this is strange." Her brow furrowed. "A child of the Zoras... I wonder if this is all related to the incident the soldiers were talking about in the back."

A Zora child? Incident? Perhaps all this had been the work of the last Fused Shadow. Link half wished he could stay with Ilia; his other half willed him to take action, to seek a solution to the situation lying before him. Ilia could neither hear nor see him, and yet he supposed it was better that way for now. He did not wish to frighten her in his current state. Besides, she seemed well enough. This Zora child did not. His judgment forced him into action, and he sprang from them and bounded into the midst of the soldiers Telma had mentioned.

"We've had many complaints from the citizens who cannot send prayers to the spirit spring of Lake Hylia," the commanding officer was saying to his second-in-command. "We have received orders to investigate why the spring is inaccessible. Understood?"

"Yessir!" shouted the second-in-command, as did the four others lined with him.

Link did not linger to overhear anything more. He glanced at the map pressed out on the nearest table and located the lake, memorizing the location and how to get there. He then turned tail and headed for the door, sending one last look toward the downcast Ilia.

===============

As per his memory's orders, Link left Castle Town through its west exit and followed the path through the field toward Lake Hylia. They met no resistance along the way, and Link thought it odd, seeing as though the soldiers had said no one could reach the spirit spring that was supposedly located on the lake. If dark creatures were not the problem, then…?

Link approached the famed Great Bridge of Hylia that had withstood generations of erosion. It was even more impressive that the bridge at Eldin, taller and grander archways at both ends, and intricate carvings throughout the long reaches of the stonework. The bridge itself was also much safer, great stone railings built to at least four feet on both sides to help prevent children or carriages from falling astray.

Midna leapt off his back and walked along it. Link watched her for a moment. He could not remember ever seeing her use her feet; she had always hovered above him or simply stood. He found it strangely entertaining the way the movement made her head and helm wobble.

She looked over the edge of the tall sides of the bridge. "Hmm, long way down." She raised a dark brow. "Is this what passes for a lake here?"

But Link caught wind of an acrid smell and looked to the floor of the bridge. What looked like blackish liquid was spread all over the stones from one end of the path to the other. Link barked, but Midna only frowned at him. Growling, he ran for her. But he was only halfway toward her when an archer on the other side shot a flaming arrow at them. Midna ducked and it fell against the blackness. It was then that she realized their situation.

A flare leapt up from the arrowhead and fires spread out from it, beginning to engulf the entire bridge in flame, yet though the bridge itself was made of stone and would not be destroyed, Link and Midna were soon cornered, more fiery arrows plunging onto the ground. "Oh, no! We're trapped!" she gasped.

When at last Link finally reached Midna, he thrust his snout between her legs and pushed up on her buttocks, bumping her up into the air. He nudged forward slightly, and when Midna came crashing back down she landed roughly on his back. Without retort, she grabbed onto his fur and watched the fires close in on them.

Link did not fancy the thought of burning alive and, in Midna's panic, did not rely on her to find a solution.

There was only one chance they had at survival, and he did not hesitate; he prayed.

He felt Midna hug him round the neck and heard her prolonged scream of "Are you _insane_?" as he leapt over the edge of the Great Bridge of Hylia.


	19. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17: Domain in Distress**

All of a sudden Link and Midna were no longer falling. A slippery coolness had crashed over them, and their bodies curled in upon impact. A field of bubbles rose and churned about them, throttling and hazing their vision. The water stung and burned as Link struggled to find gravity. He sputtered, kicking his paws as he made sense of the transparent shield against the air. Beside him, Midna writhed, trying to find which way was up. In an instant, she had disappeared, and Link felt himself falling deeper into the veil of deep blue water.

Just as his lungs began to yield to the pressure of the water, Link felt a yank on a tuft of hair behind his ears. Holding onto the shore side, Link could hear Midna's string of coughs as she let loose the droplets of water that had seeped into her during her struggle. After Link, too, had hawked up the sparkling and deadly liquid from within him, he pulled himself completely onto the solid earth, feeling weighed down by the heavy water that had soaked into every inch of fur covering his body. Upon some instinct, he tossed his neck to fling back the water, and then his entire body convulsed until he had shed the weight of the water. Crouching near him, Midna squealed from being hit by the spray. "Hey, watch it!" she called, wringing the water from her ginger hair. After replacing the hairpin, she looked up to scold him further; though, she could not help a genuine giggle. She pointed at him, but could not find the words to express how ridiculous he looked.

Link turned to look at his reflection in the water and found his fur ruffled and sticking out at every angle. He looked like a beast thrice his size. He gave another toss of his head, but it did little to improve his appearance. He cocked his head in a shrug, and that was when he saw the mirror image of the bridge far above. Link looked up and then passed a furtive glance at Midna, realizing what had just happened.

They had fallen from the bridge to land in a pool of water … and Midna, knowing that he could not swim so well as a wolf, had saved his life. She had done so without hesitation, which made Link assume, hopefully, that she truly did have humane interests, for saving lives was a human instinct.

Midna, however, seemed not to notice, sitting down to face the water, sneering. "Well, that was a close one. We're lucky this puddle was here. If this is a lake…." She left her last thought incomplete and gathered herself up. "Well, you heard that soldier. There should be a spirit spring somewhere around here. Why don't we take a look around?" She leapt onto his wet fur and could not stifle another giggle as she tried to mat down the hair around his ears. Involuntarily, he jerked his head away with a growl. He had been so used to her cruel remarks that it took him a moment to realize that even had her action been in mockery, she had exposed a degree of kindness.

Unsettled, Link pushed away his confusion and focused on the quest at hand.

Looking about, he realized they had taken to a shore were three green lights emanated. Sniffing closely, he breathed in the smell of sweet fish. At a murmur's level, Link could barely hear the lights speaking. "The drop in water has been faster than predicted…." the shortest glimmer judged.

"At this rate, Lake Hylia will dry up. It's a race against time…." another said with a raspy sigh.

"Yes, the lake will most definitely vanish if we don't somehow return the flow of water from upriver," the third agreed.

The second waved to his companions. "Come. We must return to Zora's Domain."

Link was inclined to listen further, yet past them in the distance, something caught his eye. There was a stubby man wearing a pink shirt too small to cover his plump belly, however; Link allowed himself no time to be amused at the sight, for the chubby man was running as fast as his short legs could carry him as he screamed, "MONSTER!"

Following close behind the man there flew the largest bird Link had ever seen, beset with tendrils of black feathers and alien red markings breathing embers with each flutter of its wings. An archer sat atop its back, readying an arrow as the man lodged himself underneath a piece of equipment that sat on a grand wooden raft housing what Link assumed was his house or shop. The archer released the shaft and it sailed straight for the hidden citizen. Link, having run to the aid the man, leapt up and caught the arrow in his mouth. The dark duo turned their attention on Link and Midna.

If his alter ego were capable, Link would have smiled at the fact that he had caught his enemy off guard; however, now was no time for such behavior. As Link fought, he heard the portly man behind him whimper and curse, "What is going on? Are the Zoras responsible for this, or is this a curse from the spirit?" If the little man had said anything else, Link was unable to hear his murmurs, for his engagement with the winged beast took a great deal of his concentration. He wondered, for as long as he could allow himself the privilege, how odd it would be to witness a beast attacked by thin air.

The wolf took advantage that the bird's agility somewhat decreased seconds before the archer released each arrow. When the dark bowman aimed its next shaft-Link just dodging the last-the wolf leapt for the belly of the winged creature. He ripped at it wings, trying to climb up to reach the more threatening opponent, but when he sunk his claws into the bird's chest again, it wailed and teetered. Its contorted flight thereafter threw Link from its feathers, and it let out an awful screech. Its voice had the unnatural bellow of a horn as it sucked at the air.

Ignoring the bird and benefiting from its distracted rage, Link again launched for the archer with a great leap. The bird's wings flapped downward, opening a direct path toward his target, and he soared mouth agape. Crunching down upon his foe, Link snapped his jaws shut around the fiend's neck and gave a jerk as he descended back to the ground, a limp body now in his maw.

Link tossed the corpse aside and felt another weight lifted. He looked to his side to see that Midna had slid from his back and was now gazing up at the bird creature. Curious, Link turned to follow her gaze. "This is a kargarok creature from your world but infested by the dark Twili magic," she informed.

Unexpectedly, Link then heard a soft melody of alternating high and low pitches and was surprised to discover it was Midna's voice. The creature calmed slightly and lowered itself to the ground. As Link watched, Midna leapt into the air, trailed by the too familiar black, red, and green bubbled magic which seemed to define her very essence. She caught onto the kargarok and slipped into the saddle from which the archer had just moments ago been stolen. At once, it reared took flight. "Stop it!" yelled Midna. "I am you master now. Settle down!"

Soon its flailing wings died to a sustaining flap, and Midna yanked on a clump of feathers to guide it back toward Link. "We can use this beast to get us all the way to the water's source," she called down to Link.

Link barked up at her. It was consent, but another chord had hummed within his alien voice, and strangely, Midna was beginning to hear the words he wanted to speak had he been human.

"Hmm, you want to see the Light Spirit first, don't you?" she said, scratching her chin. "Well, it _is_ on the way, so why not?"

Midna commanded the kargarok to snatch Link up in its talons, and though he had been expecting it, he wailed his discomfort. The talons clamped tight around his chest, locking him in place. Ignoring Link's grunts, Midna steered her new ride up to the cave where the spirit was said to dwell. Once at the edge of the opening, the bird lowered Link to the ground. He could already hear the sorrowful and harmonic voice that he had come to associate with the lamenting spirits.

Looking back, he watched as the kargarok landed on the edge and leaned over to let Midna down. After ordering it to wait for them, Midna followed Link into the spirit's cave.

Inside, darkness reigned. The glow of Midna's body and eye contrasted with the hard black of the cave, yet Link could still make out the overall shape of the grotto. After moments of following the soft echo of dripping water through a winding tunnel, the pair then stumbled upon the resting place of the distressing spirit. Its weak and splattered light gave off a subtle orange tint that lit the walls.

A grating sigh floundered from its unseen mouth. "I have felt … the warmth … return to my kin…. I am … the last of the spirits of light … consumed … by twilight…." its soft voice wept. "Hero … Chosen one of the gods…. You have … done well to make it this far…. Please, gather my scattered tears of light … that were stolen by shadow. Take this…."

Again, it was Midna who clutched onto the vessel when it appeared from the waters' depths.

"I am sure … you know by now … the forms that these dark insects take … when they steal our light…. In this shadow realm of twilight … the insects are invisible … much like the humans of this world…. By collecting my stolen light … you shall lift the final cloud of twilight … that threatens to cover … all of Hyrule…." With a wailing gasp the voice fell silent, submerging itself once more into its unnerving song of woe.

Link and Midna exchanged a silent glance. To think that they were so close to banishing the twilight from Hyrule. There remained one last spirit to aid, and then the dark mantle that had engulfed parts of the land would be lifted. An evil curse set upon Hyrule by a tyrant king. Midna had not revealed much about him, but Link had understood the tone with which she had said his name. Zant. Clearly, a history swelled around Midna and the king of twilight, but Link had never pursued the matter. He had learned all he had needed to know back in the mines of the Gorons. He knew that the memory of this king troubled her. He would only ask of Zant again when the need for information would outweigh the careful distance Link had constructed to keep from hurting Midna.

Just days ago he had loathed this creature, but his imp companion had lately become more than just useful to him, and he had an inkling she viewed him the same way now. They had come to a bitter understanding after their battle with the darkened form of the Goron patriarch. He had learned that there was more to Midna's selfish desires than self-preservation. There was a terrible past that lay deep beneath the thick skin of cynicism she had fastened to her like armor. He saw the way that she glanced at him occasionally now, the furtive stare that spoke volumes of her developing care for him as a _person_ and not just a means to an end.

So, there they stood again, gazing into each other's eyes, the same thought passing through them.

Maybe. Just maybe … it was nearing the end of their journey. With the completion of the Fused Shadows, Midna and Link would be able to fight Zant on equal footing. When that time came, it would be up to their skills to decide the outcome of the battle, a battle that would decide the fate of Hyrule and so much more.

Heaving a deep breath, Link and Midna exited the chamber, the latter holding closely to the vessel that would hold the last of the tears of light.

Once outside, Midna immediately mounted her new beast, which had taken up a perch on the adjacent bridge network, one that linked the seeming floating islands of the area together. It astounded Link how much of the lake had apparently dried up. He could see even from this dizzying height all of the algae and growth and erosion common to an underwater ecosystem. Had had swum and explored the lake back in Ordon enough times to understand that the normal water level in Lake Hylia was at the tips of his paws, far above the pond where they had crashed.

Without pretense, Link felt two taloned feet wrap around his midsection again, and he was uplifted. "Well, those Zoras said something about the source of this problem being upstream somewhere, so why don't we just see for ourselves while we're hunting?"

Midna's tone seemed uncaring, but Link had learned to disregard the melodies of her voice in most situations, for he had come to realize it was her way of shielding herself or ignoring how she may have truly felt.

Keeping an eye out for the buzz of the insect thieves, Link relaxed in the kargarok's grasp, enjoying the time to rest, even if it would be short-lived. As the bird sailed off, a coldness spiked through Link like razors, and he was instantly reminded that his fur remained wet from their fall. Yet, it was more than just his mess of hair causing the problem. A sinister chill seemed to infest the lake.

As they flew upriver-after having obtained a few tears in the immediate area-Link admired the beauty of the vast river. Although there was little water trickling down the gully, the great scale of the channel amazed Link. There were outcroppings along the edges cut deep into the sides of the trench in the mountain that formed the great river. He had to wonder, however, how much of these formations were truly supposed to be submerged.

Halfway through the ride up the path, shimmers appeared ahead of them. "There are insects through here," Midna shouted down to him. With that declaration she leaned into the bird, and Link braced himself. In the next moment, the kargarok breathed its wings in close and shot straight for the dangling lights that had attached themselves to the ceiling of an underground section of the river.

On Midna and Link's approach, the insects scattered, fluttering about in futile attempts to escape. With perfect aim by the kargarok and three snaps of Link's jaws, the bodies of the shadows deflated and dispersed into nothing, leaving the core of their shells to be scooped up by Midna's tiny hand.

The trio then began the climb upward to reach the top of the river where the lands flattened once more. Once reaching the top, the kargarok lowered Link safely onto a rigid spit of land, where tall grass swayed in shape of pliable icicles. Midna leapt from the bird demon to regain her usual seat with a rather soft landing, and on her command the kargarok flapped away. Link could feel her shiver against the air and his matted coat, and she tried to brush aside the feeling of his stiffened fur stabbing into her. "Well, then. Where's the village of the Zoras? It's getting cold, so hurry up finding it!"

Her voice snapped inside his head, and combined with the bitter sting of the rising cold, a quiver trembled down his spine. He moved forward, partly to combat the cold with the movement of his muscles. He was not sure how long they could remain in this environment before the cold sapped them of all energy.

Just ahead, he caught a glimpse of another green form, sitting on disconnected stairs. He trudged over to the shack built into a hollow of the riverside shore and heard the woman's voice as it shook in the cold. "…those Zoras up to, anyway?" he heard her ask. "The river's run totally dry…. Oh, I can't work like this." With a soggy pout, she added, "I miss my fur coat." She rubbed her arms then folded them tightly over one another. "Whoever thought renting out boats was going to be a good idea, anyway?"

She was silent for a moment, but screamed suddenly, and Link understood why.

A large glinting bug sprang out from underneath the brush beside her boat rental shop and scuttled in a beeline towards her. Before the woman had time to react, however, the bug had been stamped dead. "What? It's gone?" Her voice trailed away as she jerked her head down to hide behind her warm hands and frazzled pouf of hair. With a shrug, Midna collected the blue light that rose from the ground.

Link approached the trench behind the woman, and-looking down-realization dawned that the ditch served as a continuation of the river, for there was a raft of wood at the bottom that Link understood connected the opposite shorelines of the river. Though, without water, the raft-meant to be a floating bridge-did not succeed in its intended purpose. What made the use of this bridge more necessary was the fact that Link could see a couple green sparks dotting the bank on the opposite side. Now, his curiosity about the river turned to investigation. Returning the water flow to the region was now a foremost priority.

Link placed his paws carefully about the edge and slid down into the deep trench. Searching for the direction toward what Link assumed would be Zora's Domain, he spotted the bend in the river to his left and followed the curving path past icicles and frozen spots of rock. The pads of his paws threatened frostbite the entire way, and he longed for the hot spring in Kakariko.

At long last, Link reached the mouth of the river. They were within a cavernous hollow, perhaps dug deep in the side or top of a mountain. The enwrapping walls were lined with sharp edges, slopes, and paths which all wound up to the same place. At the highest point in the iced cavern there lay the actual source from where Link was sure the water normally spewed, for below the opening and hanging off some of the rock walls and ledges dangled a stiff mass of ice, most presumably a frozen waterfall that had thickened over quite swiftly from a massive burst of frost.

"Hey, what's going on here?" asked Midna, throwing back her arms. "I thought it was getting colder, but this? Who would have thought that it would be all frozen? This is the Zora village, right? Well, why don't I see any then?" She finished her line of rhetorical questions as she scanned the area over twice. "Well," she craned sideways so that she could see Link's face as she scratched at his ear, "why don't we go look for them?"

Although Link had begun to see Midna differently, he could always count on her to speak to him as if he were a filthy peasant, for she had the air of pretentious nobility like some of the characters he had heard tell of during his bedtime stories when he was a child. At least, she was not the one that had to freeze her feet. He could even feel that the water on the long tendrils of fur that danced below his chin had crystallized, and it was a chill that had reached his very bones.

However, even through the dampness, he had fur to keep him warmer. Midna's ebony and ivory skin surely pained her by now, for the frigid air swirled about them and pulled his muscles tight. Breaking free of his rigid posture, he regained his flexibility as he moved, and as long as he remained in motion, he knew that his body would eventually acclimatize to the new temperature.

He cantered ahead and began his long climb up the cavern, snapping at and pouncing upon the insect thieves as they spotted them. Soon, the tears that they had thus gathered nearly consumed the vessel of light. There were not many more to recapture.

At the midway point, Link could find no path to further his climb, and he only resigned himself to look at the drooping waterfall when he had made certain-thrice over-that he had indeed come to an apparent dead end. Reluctantly, he approached the edge of the cliff and gazed down and across at the silently sagging fall. Oddly, there were footholds he could use to his advantage, though he feared sliding across the iced outcropping once he had made the jump to it. Yet, as he repeated to himself-just as Midna had reminded him several times on their ascent whenever he had slipped-_That is what your claws are for_, he regained courage and lunged.

His sharp nails whimpered shrilly upon contact as he slid across the ice, but after a few inches he came to a halt. Retracting only his front claws, he leaned sideways to search for the next mass of ice he could use as a steppingstone. Finding one, he reared back somewhat and pushed off, his claws catching onto the solid water without falter.

Link continued in this manner for some time as Midna held her arms closely about his neck and her legs firmly around his torso. Nearly at the top edge of the waterfall, Link could not locate another suitable ice block upon which to land. He grew increasingly concerned when he knew that backtracking to find another route up would be more than precarious. Yet, just as he was about to give up hope, he spotted his only option. He took a deep breath before committing himself, knowing that this would be a true leap of faith.

He shook each paw free of accumulated ice particles and leapt for a colossal icicle that hung from the top of the cavern's westward wall. As large as a temple's column, Link dug his claws into the ice mass deeply. One of his back paws slipped at first, jolting Midna uncomfortably, but he soon regained himself and began to climb its length one paw at a time.

Nearly high enough to jump backward onto the icy ground beside the top of the waterfall, the mass of crystallized rock and water began to crack under the injury he had caused. Pressured by Midna's urgent calls, Link ascended the icicle, leaping repeatedly with two paws at a time, and as his hind legs crashed onto the iced pole for the last time, he kicked off and turned about in mid-leap, landing firmly and safely onto the grassy ledge.

Midna watched the icicle break away with a shattering screech that tore through the air like metal on stone. It fell to the bottom of the deep well of the nonexistent river where it splintered into dust with a chime that ricocheted off the walls. The sound of the grating ring was enough to dislodge some of the surrounding icicles and plummet to their doom as well. "You know," Midna said, relaxing her posture and turning to Link, "I think you're getting too comfortable in that body." Trying to kill the friendly smirk that curled her lip before it fully overtook her visage, she straightened herself and looked around. "The Zora village should be nearby," she said.

An unneeded statement, for Link had realized this some time ago. If she, however, wanted to use this remark to remind herself of her obligations, then it was information well accepted. Link dug his claws into every step he took so as not to slip as he approached the mouth of the river. He headed inside what appeared to be a cavern that had been constructed overtop the waterfall, Midna's smirk fresh within his mind. Though there were ledges of solid land to either side of the mouth that stretched inside, Link took to the path of the frozen waterfall at the center.

Inside, his vigilance paid off, for they were immediately attacked by a shadow beast. Link loathed the sound of their shrill voices, for their squeals dealt only paralyzing dread. He had begun to associate them with messengers who always seemed to bear ill tidings, for whenever he encountered these creatures, there always happened to be something needing fixed or someone needing saved.

Right away, Link ducked, crouching low enough for the long, sticky fingers to miss Midna as well. Skidding on the ice as he turned to his foe, Link growled. The monster twisted its skinny body about, its lumpy joints flexing. It brought its head back in a whirl of motion, its thick, black tendrils of hair flaring about. Link swooped in low, striking the creature in the midsection with a bash of his head.

The messenger floated back and slammed into the side of the cavern. Ice dust coughed out from the impact and caught in Link's nose. Distracted by the heavy sneeze that followed, the messenger flattened Link to the ground. Midna crawled out from under the restrained wolf and leapt onto the creature's backside, tugging on two locks of hair as if they were the reins of a horse. The black figure shrieked and let Link loose as it tossed its head. Its hair swung around the wolf, and Link caught a group of three in his jaws, bit down, and jerked.

Another piercing cry burnt Midna and Link's ears to ashes, as Link scampered backward, three black and lifeless fingers of hair trailing blood from his maw. With a triumphant yelp, Midna yanked on its hair, and the beast wriggled to achieve liberty. But its chest had been exposed in this arched position, and Link spat out the useless extremities and charged the beast, ripping and clawing across the monster's breast.

At last, the messenger heaved and fell over. Its body shattered into dark shards and disappeared into the air.

Link looked to Midna, a violent yet radiant expression having overtaken her features. She returned his stare after a brief moment as she collected her breath. Link nodded his approval and thanks, but she simply turned to scoop up the vessel that had fallen from her cradling arms.

Finally, they were granted the chance to look about, and it appeared to only be a cave in the mountainside, for there was nothing but ice. Yet with Midna's words- "Whoa. Hey! Look down below the ice!" -he redirected his gaze beneath his feet. His gasp sounded like a cough in his alien body. Below lay a pool, frozen over by the same curse as the river, yet within its cylindrical grasp were the bodies of at least a hundred frozen Zoras, paused for who knew how long in their swimming strides. They looked much like the boy from the bar, only taller and with larger fins. Whatever had caused the river to freeze had been instant and unexpected, for the Zoras looked so peaceful and graceful in the way their bodies had solidified.

"This is really strange. What in the world happened?" asked Midna. Then she rounded on Link using a rough tone to try disguising her discomfort at the sight. "Hey! So, what do you want to do? We can't just leave them like this." She stroked a finger across her chin. "I think all we need to do is thaw them out."

_We?_ mused Link. Her choice of words took him by surprise. Before, she had only addressed problems with what _he_ had to do to solve the predicament, but now, she actually included herself … voluntarily.

"Ah, I think there may be a way," she affirmed. She raised a hand, and their bodies began to disintegrate. Before Link's body was jerked apart by her mysterious magic, his thoughts shifted back to her choice of words. It was a small thing, to be sure, and something that most people he thought might overlook. However, whether consciously or not, Midna had begun to involve herself more concretely in the affairs of the light realm. And he took that as a good sign.

===============

When Link's senses returned, he stood alongside Midna, though his surroundings had changed. Death Mountain rose up before them, the home of the Goron Mines. As convenient as it would be to take up a portion of the hot lava from the mountains to melt the ice, Link knew that carrying the molten rock was impossible. He could not understand how Midna meant to solve the Zora's problem with their new location-or how she had even performed such magic. Her powers were great indeed, and that she needed the feared powers of the Fused Shadows just to equal the King of Shadows made the might of Zant that much more unfathomable.

As if sensing Link's distress, Midna giggled. "Don't you remember the rock that nearly fell flat on top of you when the Gorons were taking you to their elder?" she asked, pushing off from the ground as she faced Link. By the force of her strange magic, she hovered next to a large rock. Waves of heat emanated from every crack like a self-sustaining furnace. "It's been here for a while, but it's still pretty hot."

Without a second glance toward Link, she lapsed into deep concentration that seemed-by the contortion of her features-to be painful. Then the rock was enveloped by undulating red magic. Link closed his eyes as he felt a force yank his body apart yet again, and when he opened them, it was to the chill of the cavity within the icy Zora's Domain. The hot chunk of rock that Midna had brought along impaled the pool of ice and already began to slowly melt the crystals back into water.

Link and Midna found a somewhat comfortable crevice to settle into while they watched and waited for the giant rock to perform its task. Though the rock had thickened the air with heat once more, their surroundings were still as bitter as the worst days of winter, and noticing Midna's single shiver as she sat down, Link stretched so as to nonchalantly shift closer to her. Without appearing to notice, Midna simply stared below the thawing ice at the frozen Zoras, lost in her thoughts.

Before long, larger pieces of the ice began to crack free of the whole. Link knew that their reprieve would soon be over, for now that the ice melted steadily, he and Midna would soon fall to their true mission once more.

Twitching motions soon convulsed through the Zoras, as the frost began to peel away from their bodies. "Who knew something so dangerous would come in handy," remarked Midna, as she watched, the volcanic rock sinking deeper and deeper still until, at last, it struck the bottom and lodged into the floor of the water source. The water's current mostly restored, Link and Midna stood and searched about. Certainly, they would find more of the insect thieves within the domain.

As Midna climbed onto his back, Link pranced around the circular steps-which descended into the well-where many Zoras were beginning to seek refuge from the water below, their pale scales glimmering in that unnatural green light. Link could hear their mumbles and coughs. "Was I unconscious?" one asked himself. "Are you okay?" one inquired of another. "What of those in the waterfall pool?" a warrior-like one said as he leaned over. "I wonder if the downstream areas are all right," another reflected.

Link understood by most of these remarks that the people of Zora's Domain would recover; therefore, he wasted no more time in reassuring himself of the fact and searched through the entire domain for the insects he hunted.

Throughout the area Link only encountered one such dark demon, and since it appeared that it, too, had been subjected to the layers of ice; its movements were stiff and it was easily overpowered.

Their duties completed, the pair made for the exit as they took a last look about the now refurbished domain. Waterfalls again drained from an open sky above, splashing soothingly into the pool, and the decorative etchings that defined Zoran architecture could now be glimpsed. The walls seemed to be made of crystallized water, for even with the reflection of the pool, they teemed with a life all their own. Dozens of bluish columns-stalactites and their mates which icy coatings had connected-lined the top tier of the pool stairs. These columns created an arching aisle that led to the center of the back wall where a throne sat empty. Link thought perhaps their sovereign, too, had been frozen within the waters. He watched as the Zoras stumbled about, barking orders to each other and asking questions.

Link turned about and made for the exit, sure that they would recover.

But he had not understood the sound of a Zora's tears.

And he had not seen the stains of blood.

"Wait!" a voice gasped, calm yet grievous in tone. Mid-step, Link turned back.

Above the waterfall pool, a figure appeared. It was not like the bluish bodies of the other fish people; its figure rippled with an elegant glow of deep red violet tints. The female Zora hovered before them, and, by the ornamentation upon the attire that adorned her body, she was one of noble stature. The large tail-like fin that flapped down from her head-as long as Link was tall-swayed at the side of her body, as if to serve as a balance. Her fine coral hair tumbled down about her head in soft yellows and vibrant reds, and as it lay about her shoulders, it drew Link's attention to the elaborate necklace that looped around her throat and hung against her chest. The only features that seemed without sparkle were her eyes, two vessels in which Link saw much pain and atrocity. Her eyes had borne the sight of much grief; of that, Link was already sure.

"Please," she continued, seeing the kindness in the wolf's eyes. "You must allow me to thank you for revitalizing both my people and this river. It is the water source for all the lands in Hyrule." Her voice seemed to chime with every word, spoken in the hush of some broken serenade. "In life, I was the elder of this Zora village and queen of my people. I was called Rutela." Her voice remained gentle through her acceptance and declaration of her fate. It explained the nonexistence of any beams reflecting from her eyes, and it also clarified why she wore such stunning apparel.

Midna's tone, however, was much less gentle. "Not to be rude, but we didn't exactly do it for you guys." Yet this statement, to Link, was rather contradictory, for had it not been she who had proclaimed that they must free the Zoras of their frozen state?

Rutela's eyes darkened from their lifeless grey tint, her arms spreading outward. She seemed to ignore the little imp as she continued, the layers of her beautiful gown swaying like a wraith floating through water. "The dark ones…. They raided this village and, as a message to my people, executed me before them." Link could only imagine her past fears of knowing death would befall her so publicly, the fear that her people might betray their courage from the heartbreak in witnessing their fair queen bow to death's embrace. "Young man…. You who take the form of a proud beast…" she said. The fins trailing down from her arms twitched slightly as she fell into a silent trance. Upon awakening a mere second later, she focused upon the wolf again. "I have something to ask of you."

Link perked up, listening closer.

"When the dark ones descended upon our village, I sent my young one, Ralis, to Hyrule Castle to inform Princess Zelda of our fate." There was a quiet scoff at the latter name, which had come from Midna. Rutela had either heard her and disregarded Midna's reaction or she had simply not noticed. Regardless, she continued on to her purpose. "…I fear danger followed him from this doomed place. I feel it." A sorrow Link had never known overtook her voice. The tendrils of her grief coiled around his heart, whispering of a frost so dark and hopeless that it melted the very warmth from his soul. "His presence grows fainter to me over time…. But my time in this world has passed, and though I would give it gladly, I no longer have a life to risk in his rescue." Her body began to falter in its form, fading slowly in its constant fluctuations. "Please, would you save my dearest Prince Ralis? If you accept, I will bestow upon you the protection of water, a power that will grant you the ability to respire in the deepest of waters as if you were one of my people.

"Please," she said, eyes brimming with tears that would never splash upon the earth of life. "Save my son."

Her body then became one with their surroundings, fading into the nothingness beyond the shimmer of the crystalline walls.

Midna's condescending tone rattled Link from his blank stare. "So, if we help her, she'll grant you the power to swim in the deep water like a Zora, huh?" She looked down to Link, her gaze breaking him of his rooted stature. "What are you going to do then, Hero? Oh, but I don't suppose you should meet the prince as a wolf." The giggle that followed was one that Link had learned to easily evade.

And with a sharp turn of his body, he departed from the elegant Zora's Domain, his heart still heavy with the snow of a mother's unshed tears.

===============

Evening loomed above them, overtaking the already dim skies. Blinking away the cold, Link moved to the edge of the cliff where a frigid waterfall now flowed and crashed into the pool below. Upon tossing a glance about, Link realized it was not alone, for there were now many falls where there had once been clumps of frozen water.

The wolf chose to descend using the grassy path to his right, canopied by stone. Now that the ice masses had been removed by the heat radiating from Zora's Domain, many more paths like these could be traversed. They could hear the vigorous roar of rushing water rumbling overhead, and the gentle mists of the falls bubbled against their skin and fur as the droplets rolled over the edges of the stones.

As they made their way down to the riverside, they caught bits of conversation from the many Zoras awakening from their strange sleep.

"…attacks by the shadow beasts…"

"…volcanic boulder in the throne room…"

"…appears that the cave to Snowpeak is still frozen; we'll have to wait a bit longer."

"…need to check if the places that take their water from here have been affected…"

As the minutes ticked by, Link finally managed to bring them to the bend in the tunneled waterway, and upon resurfacing to the evening light, he heard another more interesting discussion. Two Zoras stood upon the natural bridge which overlooked the river and a bend in the water that Link had not before noticed. He supposed that it had been shielded by a crust of ice to have escaped detection.

"Do you think Prince Ralis passed through here?" one asked.

In reply the other said, "He must have. This is the only waterway that connects to Hyrule Castle. Come. Let's follow this path to search for him."

Assenting, the first Zora nodded, and they dove into the river, their swishing fins carrying them out of sight.

Link pushed away the urge to follow them, for in his state, he would be of no help to the prince even if he located him. There was a more vital matter at hand, first: the restoration of light to the region. And their task was nearly completed.

Remembering the dark insects that he had seen on the opposite bank, Link quickly crossed the now floating wooden bridge, and, slinking down to his stomach, he prepared to pounce upon his first victim.

Teeth met the sensitive skin of the insect's wings before it had time to escape, and with Link's second bite, he rendered it lifeless. As Link moved on to his next and last target, Midna swiped up the glowing blue tear that floated up from its dead host. Midna grabbed a fistful of Link's fur as he leapt onto a slope in the bank, snapping his jaws down upon his prey. Though, this one had buzzed away just in time to suffer only a minor injury to its feeble leg.

Quick to react, Link stamped down on its wing. Trapped, it bit and stung at his paw, but Link did not relent; its attempts at freeing itself proved futile. He clamped his maw over the head and ripped the tear free. Midna collected its light, and her voice conveyed confusion. "I thought that would be the last of them, but there seems to be one missing. We've searched everywhere." She leaned against the fur of Link's head, where she could feel him panting. "I guess it's back to the spring, huh? Maybe the spirit will have a clue." Her eye slanted as she grinned, her pointed tooth peeking out of her lips. "Or do you need more time to catch your breath?"

Growling underneath his quick breaths, he looked down the steep river which would lead them back to the spirit spring. At this angle however, he spotted a small overhang that had escaped his attention. Upon the grassy extension there rested a rather familiar stone. Strutting up to it, he recognized the dirty, broken appearance of an ancient statue much like the grey stone he had encountered in the mountains of the Gorons. Reading the melody engraved upon the harmonic lines, he etched the notes into his throat and sang.

It was strange to hear the howls that emanated from his vocal chords, but it curiously felt relaxing. He fell deeper into the melody, swaying his head with the music. When he blinked, the river disappeared. All that remained was the protrusion upon which he stood, all else became darkness, a hazy storm. The brightness of white he had expected could be found in no crevice of the countryside that spanned beneath him. The familiar castle of Hyrule slept wearily in the distance below, fissures of fire raging behind it in the mountains.

His attention snapped to a sudden luminescence above him, where he discovered the golden wolf who-sitting on a higher cliff-gazed down upon him with that sharp red eye which had seen so much violence in the world. Expectant eyes.

Realizing, Link again howled the melody that had been imprinted into his mind. When he repeated the tune, the majestic voice of the golden wolf sang with him. The moon above twinkled and it was then that Link sensed a distinct memory of a desert, vast and barren, shine within him; though, since he had never seen the renowned Gerudo Desert, he supposed that the recollection had drifted upon the music from the other wolf, the shade of an old kingdom.

When their duet died upon the frozen air, the red eye bore into the twin oceans of Link. "Let teachings of old pass to you," the golden wolf spoke, though his mouth uttered nary a syllable. "Take sword in hand and I shall come to you."

The darkness swallowed the wolf as it leapt away from the illusion. This sudden motion was the knife that ripped their surreal world apart, and it caved in upon itself, sending Link away in a coil of the deepening fracture.

When Link regained his senses within the real world, night had set upon the land. He did not grace Midna with a glance to respond to her questioning gaze, for she had not appeared with him in that other dimension. Annoyed, she clutched his fur tautly to incline him wordlessly toward the river.

Once again they plunged into the cold of Zora's River, the current carrying them back to Lake Hylia. The quick flow of the river spit them over the edge of the great waterfall tumbling into the lake. The force submerged them momentarily and pushed them out to the middle of the lake. Here, the power of the waterfall lost its authority, allowing Link to bob up and down with a sputtering Midna hanging round his neck. Astonishment reigned within Link as he gazed about the restored lake. There was debris floating through the water, but it was breathtaking all the same. Though the Great Bridge still towered high above the lake, the plump man who had been attacked by the monsters now settled upon his boathouse, which was connected to the land by a short wooden bridge. The islands that had been floating well above the lakebed upon their arrival now skimmed the surface of the water, every patch of land interconnected by wooden bridges like a massive web. The spirit's cave also now rested on the surface of the lake, the water gliding over its muddy shore.

Paddling toward the opening, a reflection on the water caught in his eye, but when he turned, the gleam no longer presented itself. Puzzled, Link swam over to the broken planks of wood surrounding the location where he had noticed the red violet twinkle. However, any sign of its presence seemed erased. Perhaps, he concluded, it had been but the gleam of the moon. So, he started back for the spirit spring.

That was when a buzz invaded his ears. He twitched, trying to eliminate the harsh sound, but upon tilting his head to scratch away the noise, he saw it. The gleam had turned into a whirl of pulsating red and violet sparks which circled about some invisible force. The variations in the color reminded him of the insect creatures. Cautiously, he paddled toward the humming, fractured lights, hanging in the air like a caged lightning storm. He sniffed at the oddity as he climbed aboard one of the shattered rafts. When the shimmers lunged at him, he dove out of its path and turned to recognize its true identity.

With four large eyes sharing the same blazing green hue, the giant dark insect fluttered above Link and Midna, glaring as its eyes twitched. An enlarged body spawned from its head, having a bloated slug-like appearance. Six pustules erupted from the balloon of its lower body, these spots spouting forth and elongating into flaccid tentacles that danced with the strange lightning energy. Four thin yet strong wings enabled the creature to hover above them.

It rained down upon them again, but this time Link leapt onto it and bit at its soft spots. The tentacles flailed, drawing his attention, and he snapped at one of them. Putrid smelling pus and blood trailed from the wound, and the bug reared, casting Link from its belly. Angered, it dove back into the water, its violet hues shattering the surface of the lake. This, Link surmised, was what had caused him to falsely accuse the water of its former reflection. It burst from the water and whipped about, diving straight toward him, but he bounced away onto another plank of wood.

Immediately, the parasitic beast splashed from the water and hurled itself toward Link. Dodging, Link hopped onto its backside. The parasite reeled, trying vainly to shake Link from its fleshy back, but this only succeeded in giving Link the leverage to topple onto the beast's front once more. Digging his front claws into the spongy belly, Link clamped his jaws over two more of the flexing appendages. A growl bubbled from the bug's chattering maw. It snapped at him, but Link crawled up its chest and heaved himself past the long, barbed legs that lashed for him. Once at its shoulder, Link gashed two of its wings with a thrash of his claws.

At once, the insect battled gravity and fluttered its other wings ever more quickly in the attempt to compensate for its wounded appendages. Its effort in vain, the parasite and Link dropped and crashed into the water. It landed upon its back, and though it tried to escape, Link seized the opportunity and clambered down its length. Avoiding the barbs, he ripped through the last of the dangling extremities and then dealt with the true master. With a swift pounce, Link tore at its head, and its flashing green eyes oozed.

It then lay limp in the water, sinking deeper and deeper.

But then its body began to sparkle and Link dropped into the water as it burst into nothing, leaving behind a bright ray that brought a shimmer to Midna's awestruck eye. She grabbed for the tear from atop Link's wet back and settled herself against his coat.

The last of the tears had finally been collected.

Link swam to a wooden plank and grappled on with his paws, letting his body sway in the now peaceful waters of Lake Hylia. He stared at the entrance to the spirit cave and found himself in a daze.

His humanity would soon be his again. Yet, he had begun to ponder on the notion of being human. Every time he returned to his birth state, it felt less natural. The feel of the skin tight around him had begun to feel constraining. Whatever this new feeling really meant, Link was unsure, yet he did not take pleasure in the changes brought upon him by the shroud of the twilight.

_"I think you're getting too comfortable in that body,"_ Midna had said, but Link took no comfort in the thought.

He wanted to reassure himself that his humanity was his identity. Yet, though his human appearance had been set upon him by birth … was it still his natural self? Or was this cursed beast always within him, struggling to break free?


	20. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18: The Interlopers**

Midna perched over the precipice that rose above the cavern spring. Gently, she let the vessel slip from her fingertips and cascade into the dim waters. Upon diving into the pool, the tears of light sprung upward like a dozen small suns. As they came together to form a single star, the intensity of their pure luminescence was so great that Midna had to shield her eyes while turning her head. Beneath the orb's beaming surface, drops of water bounced and splashed from and into the water, restoring the spring's true color with each trickle. Like veins, the rocky vines that encased the walls and ceiling were revived, and they hummed with surrealistic green radiance.

Suddenly, a creature leapt from the center of the pool, and in one swift motion, it bit the orb of light from the air and dove back into the water. Link approached the precipice, drawing up to Midna's side to watch as the creature sloshed through the water below, rippling along the edges of the spring as it weaved through the now glowing water. He could tell where the head of the beast was at every turn, the starlight of the sphere sparkling through the water. The creature's body sunk beneath the bubbling waters once more, and after an anxious pause, it burst through the surface, its head halting just feet away from the ledge upon which Link and Midna stood. Its lengthy and slender body stretched back and coiled beneath the surface of the water. The shining orb of light lay unharmed within it gigantic maw. The two huge white eyes of this great sea serpent bore into Link's, and the remolding of his body began.

The hair across his body sunk back into his skin and the grey color of his flesh melted away to a renewed peach. Blond locks fell about a face that shrunk back, cracking. Ears lowered and stretched toward the back of his head. Sharp claws shriveled into reshaping fingers, and his legs once again were straightened from their hunched position.

Lying on the ground, Link had physically become human once more, but Midna looked to him, uncomprehending. He was human, so why was he not moving or grunting in pain? Was he…?

She leaned in toward him to check his breath, but upon a glance to his face, she noticed that his eyes were still that of his wolf form. She then understood. Though his appearance was once again human, the soul of his birth identity had not yet been restored. A sudden scream from him further encouraged this notion. The transformation from wolf to human and human to wolf no longer truly dealt any great physical pain to him, but the spiritual reformation still agonized him.

He clutched at his chest, and Midna guessed that his organs and heart were now returning to their former state. His heart beat erratically. He closed his lupine eyes tightly, and with his opposite hand he grabbed the moist earth. He choked and gagged, moaned and cried. At last, a final shriek shocked the air, a final pain that spread his eyes open, once more condensed into their oval shape.

Leaning in toward the ground now, Link misplaced any pride that was his. He cared not that Midna, a usually sneering and selfish partner, watched on. He still held his chest, as the fingers of his other hand toyed with the grass, using this motion as an outlet for any further unvoiced pain he endured. He heaved his breaths deeply, as if testing that his old lungs were still working. He leaned his forehead against the cool grass and closed his eyes. From this torture he did not request a reprieve. He simply stole it.

Midna sat down to wait. His rest was due. He had been struggling through so many fierce battles and personal atrocities that she understood. He had been fighting to save Hyrule for so long now and without much rest. Indeed, he had rested following the safe return of Colin and after freeing Darbus from the curse of the Fused Shadows, but no event that he had spiraled into proved more wearying than having his body crushed apart only to be reformed in just as brutal a fashion.

Yet, this troubled Midna. Upon his first descent into the twilight, the transformation had thrown him into unconsciousness-which was where Midna assumed he had again gone-but the reconstruction that had followed had not traumatized him. His body had remolded itself in silence as Faron had spoken with him.

His second wolf mutilation had weakened him only momentarily, recovering quickly from its accursed pain. Yet to contrast, Eldin's restoration of his body had surprisingly caused him more pain than any of the then four shape-shifting occurrences. She remembered the broken questions he had uttered and his puzzlement at the pain.

The third time he had fallen into shadow, he had been accepting of the torment and even less time had been spent in recuperating. She remembered how he had almost immediately been able to canter off to continue his journey. Perhaps it was due to his strong urge to find his lost friend, the last of the Ordonians, but Link-even though knowing where she was now-still had to bring her to the safety of Kakariko Village.

As he lay before her, his body draped against the ground as if a knightly nobleman sleeping in all his elegance, there was still terror raging within his beating heart. The fierce pounding of it rattled her, and the emotion creeping up in her nearly frightened her. Just having allowed such a feeling to progress so far caused the better half of her fear.

Though his metamorphoses into the lupine animal pained him less and less each time, the fact remained that returning to his human form had progressively become more and more unbearable.

How many more times could Link withstand such brutality? Or even more distressing….

How long would it be before these transformations became so tormenting that he would not wake from his pain?

===============

Link at last awoke, hours later, grunting. Pushing himself up slightly, he looked about. Midna, having glanced over at his movements, uprooted herself from her moist seat and approached him.

"Are you done sleeping then?" she shot, masking her true, rattled feelings well.

He moaned in response and his gaze followed the radiating light in front of him. Blinding though they were, he stared into the patient eyes of the last spirit. Link rose from his earthly bed to stand before the noble entity, shaking away the last of the pain he had endured.

"My name is Lanayru," the ethereal voice spoke, after judging that Link had indeed recovered well enough from his divine torture. "Your efforts have at last restored each of us Light Spirits in Hyrule. O, hero chosen by the gods…. The dark power that you seek…." the spirit's tone fell as if in disappointment, but it quickly recuperated. "It waits in the temple set in the bed of Lake Hylia, a sacred place for the Zoras.

"But" -its voice was shattering, precaution and disturbance both set upon its pitch, which boomed and echoed about the cavern walls- "before seeking it, you must now bear witness … and _never_ forget. You must know that it was the will of the goddesses that we locked away the forbidden power."

Into Link's eyes the spirit bore its most intense gaze, and Link was instinctively forced to close his membranes to shut out the blinding force. Yet, when he reopened his eyes, he saw all around him … nothing. A blank emptiness. No feeling. No reason to breathe. And suddenly he was weightless; he no longer stood upon the ground of the cave. He looked upon himself, and found that his Ordonian clothes again adorned him.

When he had worn those garments … he had been innocent, ignorant to his true place in Hyrule and to the land's distress.

Within the blackness, Lanayru's voice broke into his ears, and the severity of its words struck Link immediately. "When all was chaos, the goddesses descended and gave order and life to the world."

Three bright lights burst from the blackness and danced about Link. A crimson flash engulfed him, and suddenly, within its wake, there sprouted formations all about. He felt the ground beneath him at last, and the plains stretched ever on into winding mountains far ahead. With a turquoise blaze, grass grew from under his feet and trees flourished within seconds. In another blast of light-this one emerald-sparkles of life pollinated the world. Goats roamed about in the distance and birds flew high in the skies. The gentle sound of the breeze tickled through Link's hair as he watched in awe.

Ilia was there, standing beside him, and suddenly everything was right again. There was no darkness, there was no pain. Everything was pure and bound by the kiss of light.

"They had granted power equally to all who dwelt in the light and then returned to the heavens. The lands where the goddesses descended came to be known as the Sacred Realm."

Lanayru's voice had grown distant in Link's mind, as if numb to the fact that it even existed. He had fallen into the illusion that had been painted around him, and the singsong voice had merely become a hum within his ears. He could still hear Lanayru, understand the words, but it was as if this vision were his reality.

He and Ilia watched in amazement as the three beams rained upon each other, and in a flash, three of the most golden triangles circled above them. The beauty of their shine was incomparable.

The very symbol that had branded Link for as long as he had known.

"For ages, the people lived in ease, content in mind and body. But soon, word of the Sacred Realm spread through Hyrule, and a great war was unleashed upon the world."

Ilia's eyes began to droop as Link himself staggered. For some reason, the sight of the triangles had created a deep hunger within him. He turned to Ilia, but instead of facing her glimmering green eyes, their identity had been consumed in white. At once, she drew a jagged dagger back to strike his heart.

But she gasped and sputtered before she could steal his life. Her dagger clanked to the ground, and her body followed soon after.

Link did not grieve. He did not bow to tend her mortal wound.

Instead, he smiled. He cared not that the blood staining her garments was the very same blemish that tainted his sword; in fact, he felt quite pleased. Her death meant nothing to him. He tossed his weapon to the ground. Now, he could pursue his prize.

He raced from her body, his attire shadowing the hero that he had now become.

"Among those living in the light, interlopers who excelled in magic appeared."

Three figures rose from their earthly womb and laughed at Link. They were darkened forms, eyes filled with red hatred. Yet, what was more … they were a mirror into Link, reflections of the lust that now billowed through his bones. A colossal form sprang from the ground behind them. The Fused Shadow. Its darkness shielded the triangles.

"Wielding powerful sorcery, they tried to establish dominion over the Sacred Realm."

They stretched out their arms just as Link had realized his mistakes. The murder of Ilia…. The lust for the great power…. He tried to shield himself from the force that threatened to rip him apart, but-

With a scream, his body burst into pieces, consumed by the Interlopers.

He had now become one of them, sneering at the pathetic nature of all other things living. All the good in him has been banished into the air, and he grinned with his counterparts. A laugh escaped him, deep and guttural. The Sacred Realm was his to control.

"It was then that the goddesses ordered us, the Light Spirits, to intervene."

Orbs of light descended upon Link and his comrades, and they searched about, looking for a path of evasion. But … there was none….

"We sealed away the great magic those individuals had mastered."

Link watched in hate and fear as the Fused Shadow tumbled out of his reach. He jerked himself about and stared down the Light Spirits. The vilest shriek of most hateful rage escaped his lungs, and he wanted to slaughter every last sentient being to quench his revenge.

Suddenly, Link had returned to the true world, the echo of his rage following him. Midna looked on in wonder, curious as to what Link had seen, for the look upon his face had been a constant stare. A daze, unknowing, unblinking.

"You know this magic," warned Lanayru. "It is the dark power you seek … the Fused Shadow. O, hero chosen by the goddesses…. Beware…. Those who do not know the danger of wielding power will, before long, be ruled by it. Never forget that."

As if to impress the issue further, an image of a thousand Ilias tumbled through Link's vision. Each of her bodies fell upside-down before him. Some laughed at his mistake of killing her and taking the destructive power for himself. Others sneered. But most wept, pleading, haunting him for his accursed actions.

The deepest sorrow within him erased the sneer that painted his face, and suddenly, his chest heaved and he awoke to the real world. Lanayru had gone already, watching over the land in its dreams.

Ilia's murder replayed in his mind, and something began smearing his vision. The danger of the Fused Shadows loomed above him. He hated the thought of their might, their raw power. He recalled the lust that had consumed him, a hunger that had driven him to madness. It, too, had infested Ilia, and she had turned a dagger upon him. He had killed her. The sight of her shining blood rattled his mind, and he crashed to his knees, weakened by the horrifying thought.

Such an accursed power….

But Ilia would never want for it. Not the real Ilia.

Link would never crave it. This … is what he told himself, remembering the smear of her blood and how he had spared no thought for her.

Never.

"Ilia…."


	21. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19: Lost Memories**

Blaring music struck a chord in Link's ears, and he looked up from his path. Under a shady spot in Hyrule Castle Town's central square, a troupe of musicians and dancers had gathered, and the occasional passerby tossed spare rupees-the gemstone currency of Hyrule-into their collection pot.

It had taken a full day's journey to reach the town gates on foot, for even though he had encountered Epona on his way into Castle Town, he had decided to spare her his weight. He hypothesized that she had wandered away from Kakariko in search of her master when the veil of twilight had lifted. He did not know what troubles the road had brought her, so they had continued into town on equal footing, and he held to her reins as if to help balance himself. Once within the stone walls of the city, he left Epona in the care of the public corral. After shoveling out some hay and offering out berries he had picked along the road, he promised to return soon and stepped out into the town once more.

An evening sky reflected against the polished cobblestone roads. In the darkened streets of the capital of Hyrule, the flickering torchlight toyed with Link's disorientation. He had not completely recovered from his retransformation, and the crowded streets mixed with the constant buzz of conversations that hummed in his ears did nothing to help his situation. Everything in the town appeared different in the evening of the restored region. His wolf eyes had painted an entirely different view of the town, for he had not realized the true number of citizens that lived within the city walls. So used to the wild life, he thought it might take him some time to acclimatize to such noisy swarms.

That, and his senses were still distracted by the lingering burden he now carried: the truth of the past, how raw power could addle even the most kind of hearts. He shivered at the memory of seeing Ilia dead … by his hand.

Midna's voice radiated within his head, but he was so unfocused that he only caught traces of certain words. He was certain that she had mentioned the Zora Queen's promised reward for her son's safety. And of course the words "Fused Shadow" weighed heavily from her tone.

Combining with Midna's hushed voice, Link caught phrases of other exchanges between the townsfolk as he wandered. His mind attuned to certain words, he only picked out those that interested him and discarded the rest as if they had not been spoken at all. He took a moment's pause by the large fountain that sprouted from the center of the square. Water cascaded from a grand sculpture, the winged crest of the royal family upon a pedestal. Link found humble beauty in it and great meaning in the way the water, such a precious resource, was held under the protection of its mighty wings. Leaning there, he splashed water over his face and drank from his palm. Across the fountain, two teenage girls glanced his way and whispered in giggles to each other, but it was the gossiping women standing near him that Link noticed. Their conversation focused on the sick Zora boy still resting at Telma's Bar. By the sound of it, the boy was only getting worse, and he had a terrible feeling it was the lost son of Queen Rutela. Either way, the bar was the place he was trying to find, what with Ilia housed there, but with his human eyes still adjusting to the wicked change and the different appearance of the town, he could not remember the way.

More sounds crashed into his ears, and he held fast to the edge of the fountain. Other folk were rejoicing that the water supply had been replenished. Some were splashing the fountain's water over their faces and others were taking it in buckets back to their homes. The Hylian guards that stood watch over the town did nothing to halt the merry frenzy of the public. A few of the children, to the irate scolding of their parents, had leapt into the waters to play. Another woman complained to one of the guards demanding that action be taken to test the water's purity. Before long, she began screaming at him, issuing names that irritated Link's throbbing head.

Link exited the center of town and drowsily sat on a barrel in the corner of an alley to catch his faltering steps. All the excitement of the town had worn on him and caused his eyes to cloud over. He could barely concentrate. Head focused upon the bricks under his feet, he breathed silently for a moment, and this reprieve served him well. After nearly ten minutes wherein he forced his mind into an imaginary pasture where the numb pains in his body bothered him no longer, he returned his gaze to the streets. The feral quality in his eyes had finally diminished, and he could at last glance about the town without becoming dizzy.

"I see what is in your future!" a throaty feminine voice issued toward Link. He gazed up, disinterested, but allowed the large woman to speak. By her appearance she seemed to be one who masqueraded as a fortuneteller, and her bejeweled clothes and hair pronounced that she had been quite successful in her choice of occupation. "There is an uncertainty that lies within your future, young man."

Ignoring the absurdity, Link rose from his seat. Of course there was uncertainty in his future. Link suspected that every citizen of the land could propose the same. He did not need a self-proclaimed psychic to reveal events to him that he already knew or to tell him that which he already knew of the future: that it was a mystery.

"You are troubled," she yelled to him, but he started down the alley. His facial expression could disclose the very same to any of the gossiping women back at the fountain. "Something stands in the way of your happiness," she said, and at that, Link glanced at her, realizing that he could not recall the last time that he had truly laughed. "Madame Fanadi can show you what your path holds," she smirked.

But at the same time, Link overheard two Hylian guards as they made their way past him. "…shift is finally over," a plump one was saying.

"Where are you headed?" the other asked.

"I'm going to put my feet up at Telma's for a bit," he said. "I'll see you on the guard in the morning."

As the two soldiers parted ways, Link could barely hear Madame Fanadi anymore as she reeled in another customer. He attuned himself to the rotund guard. This fellow would lead him straight to the bar.

Stepping away from the fortuneteller's booth, Link carefully followed behind the guard without catching his notice. Link drifted back a good distance, five citizens between them as he tracked the soldier's movements through the dense crowd. Townsfolk crisscrossed constantly through each other's paths, but Link managed to keep an eye on the spear-bearing Hylian. He did his best to hide the fact he was trailing someone as noble as a Hylian soldier, looking about, greeting people, measuring fruit.

At last the guard descended a set of stairs, and the surroundings again became familiar to Link. Reassured that he could relocate the bar without further aid from the Hylian, Link settled himself at a kiosk for hot springwater tended by a Goron. When Link had given the guard ample time to settle himself in the bar, he crossed through the swarm of people to reach the stairs. After navigating the steps and the narrow street that followed, Link stopped at the entrance to the establishment, suddenly queasy again, but a feeling brought on from the anxiety of joy.

He would at last see Ilia with his own eyes. He would finally be able to hold her once more. She would finally be safe.

Link heaved a deep breath, opened the door, and stepped into the light.

Immediately, Link heard a man yelling, "That is a Zora child. It is beyond my expertise!" A rather old man with a slouched back then bumped into Link on his way out, growling up at him through spectacles that enlarged his eyes outrageously. The tiny man left in a huff, slamming the door Link had just opened.

"Doctor, wait! If something isn't done, this child will…." The new voice trailed away, as a slim figure approached the closed door … and Link.

At last … Ilia….

Her head downcast in disappointment, she barely noticed Link. Yet, when she turned about, she sent her gaze toward him, and in that moment, Link smiled widely.

But something was wrong. The sparkle in her green eyes had faded. Distress filled her orbs now, and a strange emptiness had pervaded her. As she looked at him, no smile coiled her lips. She turned from him, and Link took a step forward, but he could think of nothing to say in his confusion. He could not understand it. He knew that she worried for the Zora child, but even the Ilia that he knew would have given him some sign of recognition, some indication that she was glad he had found her. But in her eyes, there lingered no merriment. It was as if she had looked straight through him.

Lines of concern etched into Link's face as his heart fell. As he stood there, overlooking the scene, his wandering mind tried to fathom why Ilia had not greeted him with even a nod.

It was then he realized the discoloration on the right side of her face when she had turned. A maze of scratches shrouded her cheek and ear and a black and yellow bruise splotched her skin from forehead to temple. He remembered the fall she had suffered, the blow to her head. He could recall how her blood had webbed through the water of the spring.

Link feared what that might mean.

"Well, this isn't good," said the large red-haired woman who Link had surmised was the owner upon his first visit. She had kept her focus upon the Zora child. "A human doctor won't do." Her dialect had a strange, carefree quality to it, though her tone was quite grave.

Ilia plunked down upon her seat beside the Zora. He breathed inconsistently and his body was stiff. Ilia leaned her head upon the makeshift bed, and the gasping cries that tore from her sent shivers down Link's spine. He wanted everything to reach out and comfort her, but he could not move. He merely looked on passively, still bewildered.

"Wait, that old coot reminded me," said Telma. "I've heard of a shaman in Kakariko Village, in the Eldin lands, who's tended Gorons and Zoras."

This perked Ilia's interest and she immediately leapt up to face the barkeep. "Is that true? Perhaps, if we take him there…."

A gargled cough interrupted Ilia, and five soldiers who had assembled before the counter across from them met their gazes. "Inadvisable. Too dangerous!" the middlemost guard proclaimed. Each guard had apparently been resting from their shift, for Link noticed that the chubby Hylian he had followed stood to the line's extreme left. "But," the soldier continued, "we can't turn a blind eye to a pretty girl in need, either. We'd better escort you. Right, boys?"

The question was met with a simultaneous battle howl from each of the men as they waved their spears ferociously.

This made Telma smile. "Well, isn't that nice? To reach Kakariko we've got to cross two plains that are each infested by sentries. But we'll be safe now."

However, the raging war cries subsided at her words, and when Telma turned to thank the Hylian soldiers, all but one had fled the bar. He, the portly one, faced Telma's frown alone. He noticed that the others had disappeared, and he hopped to escape the tavern as well, with Telma's screams snapping behind him. "Cowards! Don't _ever_ show your faces here again!"

But as she now faced the door, she at last noticed the young man garbed in green. "Oh my," she said in a jolly manner. "Looks like we've got one young swordsman left."

Link brought himself from the disorder that pounded within him to look not at Telma but at the young, fair-haired woman behind her.

"I don't suppose you would escort us, would you, young man?" asked Telma.

Link stammered a moment, familiarizing himself with speech once more since his metamorphosis. "I…. Yes, I will."

He had said it to Ilia, who now turned to Link with wondering and thankful eyes.

Telma, however, broke Ilia and Link from their connected gaze. "Well, that's a relief." She turned to Ilia, "Why don't you start hitching the horses to the wagon. I'll be up to help in a moment."

Merry that something could at last be done for the Zora child and also puzzled at why she had become so flustered under the gaze of Link, Ilia sprinted out the back of the bar.

Telma watched Link all the while and noticed how his stare had not been shattered. His gaze had not faltered from Ilia since he had entered. When she knew Ilia had left, she directed her next to Link, taking a step closer. Her voice was soft and motherly when she asked, "You know that girl, don't you?"

Eyes wide, Link looked up to Telma. "She…. Yes. I've traveled so long to…."

When his voice faded, Telma understood his puzzlement. "It's a real shame," she began. "She can't even remember her own name right now."

Link's heart fell. What had those beasts done? Ilia, sweet Ilia…. The girl he had known all his life. She did not deserve this.

"Bless her heart." Telma glanced at the Zora when he gasped. "She found this poor boy collapsed in the road, so she did all she could to save him. More courage in that girl than in all the soldiers of Hyrule, for sure!" She turned back to Link then and spoke with an even more tender voice. "You lend your strength to her, you hear me?"

Link nodded. Of course he would.

"Now, let's see about what route we should take, huh?" she winked.

In agreement, Link followed Telma to the back of the bar where the map of Hyrule had been conveniently rolled out for some time. "The shortest route would be to follow the town's eastern bridge into the Eldin province, but that bridge fell some time ago when all the strange, dark demons began appearing."

"We could go south," proposed Link.

"No, that way is blocked by felled boulders," she replied, scratching her chin.

"So, the quickest path would then fall to the western bridge." Link, a bit of vigor returned, traced a finger along the path as he discussed it. "If we follow the Great Bridge of Hylia and through the mountain ridge beyond into South Hyrule Field, we can cross through the canyon into Kakariko from the south. If we ride hard, it should take only a matter of a few nights for us to reach the village."

Though Telma frowned, she agreed to the course. "There are even more guards in these paths, as my sources tell me. We'll need to be quick and only stop for a few hours' rest at a time." She then indicated his sword and bow. "How well can you use those?"

Comprehending the gravity of the situation from that remark, Link cocked his head somewhat. "Well enough."

She nodded, pleased. "Well then, young knight, I suppose we should be off. Come along."

===============

Once Link and Telma had reached the public corral at the western end of town, Link spied Ilia bringing out their last horse. It was only when she faded into the crowd, exiting the town, that Link awoke from his daze to enter the corral himself. He approached his red horse unaccompanied, for Telma had left to load the wagon. Link patted down Epona's tousled mane and took hold of her reins. He would be taking Ilia where she could rest in safety, but he wondered how long it would be before she could truly acknowledge who it had been that had escorted her there. The thought of her not knowing, not remembering him…. His throat swelled and hardened at the unbearable thought.

Tossing away the pain for the moment, he negotiated the congested streets as Epona trailed behind him. Outside the town and across the short bridge, he found Ilia and Telma. The latter had just heaved the last of three crates into the wagon as Ilia continued in hitching the second horse.

"All right," nodded Telma. "I'm going to get the child and a few more supplies. I'll be back in a few minutes."

An awkward silence settled between Link and Ilia as the young girl finished her chore and noticed they were alone. Nervously holding her hands, she looked up at Link. He gazed down into her dulled green eyes, and for a moment he thought that she registered some clue as to the reason for his apparent melancholy.

When she asked his name, thorns stabbed his heart. So … she really did not remember.

"Link," he offered. Yet, when he said it, it was as if the vibrant sparkle he had always associated with her eyes had returned. He knew that the name was familiar to her, but he could visibly assess that her inward struggle to remember where she had heard the name before had been in vain. The gleam faded from her eyes as quickly as it had come.

"I will never in all my life forget your kindness, Link," she returned gently.

Link's lips thinned as he held back his frown. He tightened the corners of his mouth, willing his heart to fall from his throat and back into his palpitating chest. He longed to comfort her, to hold her and reassure her that the worst was over. Link took in the sight of her wound, and it pained him to see it grace her delicate features. On instinct, he lifted a hand to cradle her face, but when he saw the puzzled fear in Ilia's eyes, he stopped and drew his fingers back in a fist. He was a stranger to her now, and she did not understand the depth of his care for her. If he touched her, Link thought he might melt away at the weight of his emotions.

Needing to break away from her before his emotions ran freely, he took his leave, barely holding back the tears that had formed behind his blue orbs. He needed to survey their route, and he required a moment alone. He ascended a stairwell just inside the town doors, coming to the parapet wall that overlooked much of the land. Below, he found Ilia, sitting on the edge of the wagon and staring into her hands. He hated leaving her to a dark isolation, but he, too, needed seclusion.

The wind at his height was strong yet as warm as he thought a kiss might be. He wrapped himself in that feeling, shrouding himself from the world. Everything he had worked for had now been for nothing. The woman to whom he had shared deep friendship could no longer remember their long days together. Sitting by the spring…. The evenings he had perched in the tree outside her window…. The times they had played in the water with which they had bathed Epona…. The nights she had woken him in fear of a dream…. The mornings that she had joined him for the dawn meal…. Every time they had exchanged a glance…. All those things meant nothing to her now. She could not even recall his face or his very name. The thought shattered his soul.

He had come to realize that nothing in life-or at least in his-ever came without a price. Nothing in his existence had been easy to come by. Everyone in his heart eventually faded from reach. First, his parents, which he had never known … and wished so badly to know of their fate. He had lost his Ordonian friends for some time, only for them to be recovered after their innocence of the world-their very childhood-had been stolen. Rusl had been severely injured, and he supposed that his mentor still lay healing under Uli's care. And Link's very identity-his life-had been taken from his control, which made him wonder if it had ever been under his management at all.

Then there was Ilia. She had been stolen from him, the essence of her life caged. Now, as he surveyed the distance to Kakariko, he questioned if the past had really occurred. Those memories that had once existed as a road between their souls were now no more. They were lost moments, and Link wondered if they were now just lingering fantasies that he wished had happened. The bold line in which they had been drawn within his mind had now become a river, and ever-changing border between reality and make-believe.

But he quickly snatched those memories that were lost to her and drew them back to their rightful place within his heart. He had to remember all the years that they had spent in each other's company, for if she never remembered, those memories would serve as the only preservation of their friendship. One day, though, perhaps Ilia would return to her former self, her memory restored. They could then rejoice in their reunion.

He would wait his entire lifetime for the day to see the return of the familiar glint in her eyes. But until then he had to bear the pain of her lost memories and move on in his quest to save the land of Hyrule from the King of Shadows.

He turned about, the path before him memorized, yet just before he could take a step toward the stairs, a certain golden face met his gaze.


	22. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20: A Knight's Ride to Kakariko**

A shrill howl ebbed from Link's ears as he blinked past the whiteness that had overthrown the world. The wind stole away the wolf's greeting, and a body weighed down by ancient and rusting armor balanced itself before Link. Once again mentor and protégée had come together in the surreal existence that Link had not yet been able to understand.

"We meet again," the red-eyed warrior said.

Link stood silent. He still had so many questions to ask of this great soldier, but with the silent dismissal during their last meeting, he was afraid to speak out of turn.

"It appears your efforts have begun to return some vigor to Hyrule," the shade spoke. It began to circle Link, as if sizing up how much he had grown since their last encounter, "but it is far too early to relax."

Link felt a stab of guilt and embarrassment at this harmless comment. Had the ancient warrior observed his idle yet thoughtful solitude atop the parapet?

The skeletal shadow stopped again before Link, impaling the young warrior with its sharp red gaze. "Do you feel ready to earn another hidden skill to steel yourself for the forthcoming battles against more powerful foes?"

"I do," nodded Link.

"Very well," the hero of old bowed. "Let it be hewn into your mind!" The voice bellowed strongly throughout the vast expanse of white nothingness. The figure pounded his blade into the blank ground. "A mere shield attack is no match for an enemy protected by a thick, full-body coat of armor. Such enemies," the grotesque teeth informed, "are often focused on guarding against frequent frontal attacks. They often leave their backside unprotected. This is when you will utilize the back slice, as I will demonstrate."

Slightly concerned, Link allowed his body to remain unguarded as the warrior unsheathed its weapon and came at him. Just as soon as a more common attack would have struck him, the old soldier ducked into a roll and rose only when it had come to Link's rear. In the same movements, the shade sliced its sword in an upward arc, the blade missing him by inches.

"Do you understand this technique?" its rasping voice questioned.

As Link nodded he was reminded how the only life that seemed to spark within the ancient hero was the rattling its armor made when it moved, as if its greatest memories of life lay in battle. Gathering his thoughts back to the lesson, Link rounded upon the warrior on its command to perform the skill he had just been shown.

Racing up to the dark figure, Link feigned a frontal attack-just as his instructor had-but then split to the right in a dive. Link twirled upon rising and slashed his blade across the warrior's back. The skeleton remained uninjured and-though unable to express emotion through its decayed features-expressed its pride in a loud roar, "Very good!"

Link returned to his prior location wherefrom he looked onto his sword master. It seemed those dark eyes-one beaming red, the other a hollowed blackness-gauged him then, and Link felt somewhat uncomfortable under its intense stare. Just moments ago his deepest feelings had been strewn across his features, to be read easily by any individual. He could not help wondering if his teacher had noticed that his focus had betrayed his sword arm at the moment of the blow, for he himself hated realizing that his blade had only just slightly twitched.

But the decomposed figure bowed to the knowledge only slightly, as any well-practiced instructor might assess a student. "You carry yourself well, but do not forget the proper timing for swinging your sword.

"Do not neglect your daily sword training between now and the next time we meet," its hoarse tone boomed. Then, bowing low, the shade and the white blur of its world drew back and splintered into shards of black.

Link once again regained his footing in the real land, and he realized that the darkness now before his eyes was the chill of night. Link committed to memory the strange lesson and all the words that the old warrior had spoken, but he still longed for conversation, longed to ask the questions from which the shade always seemed to retreat. Struggling to right his mind, Link stepped down the cold stone staircase, winding his way back down to the wagon where Ilia, Telma, and the Zora child-whom Link could only presume was Ralis, prince of the Zoras-waited for him.

Seeing that Ilia and the Prince had settled into the wagon, blankets tossed about them for comfort against the bitter night air, Link straddled Epona quickly. He wished to begin their voyage to Kakariko as soon as possible, for every glance he had given toward Ilia just continued to sharpen the pain that she could not recognize him. On the other hand, a breeze had begun to rustle the night's stillness, and a cold wind chilled his bones. The sooner they arrived in the mountain village the better for all of them.

From the wagon, however, Ilia poked out her head. Tentatively, she repeated her earlier sentiments to Link. "Thank you so much for this, Link."

The dull sound his name made upon her ignorant lips made him quiver, and his eyes drooped. He wondered if it would always be this way, or if someday-even if she could not reclaim her memory-he could ever smile at her again.

But Telma revitalized him with a grin, "Little lady, I think you'd best save your thanks until we're safe in Kakariko. I wouldn't worry, though. This swordsman of ours has great eyes, honey. They're proud and wild … like a feral beast." Oddly, the part of him that could still be identified as lupine did not bother him. He had learned acceptance some time ago, and the compliment to his blue eyes reengaged his mind for the hardship to come. "We need a beast right now, to keep the true ones at bay," said Telma in a softer tone. Perhaps, Link thought, the drop in her voice was more to console the confused and disoriented Ilia. Then she blew a kiss to their escort with a wink. "If we make it to Kakariko safely, we'll just thank him then."

Link did not smile at the remark, but it did erase his frown.

Telma looked toward the dusty path that led into the pass that would open into the cliffs of Lake Hylia. Her gaze did not falter as she called over to Link, "You ready?"

In reply, Link pressed his legs into Epona, and she reared high and cantered off through the pass. Telma snapped the reins of her horses and soon followed after the green-garbed rider at a steady pace.

Pulling ahead of them at a reasonable distance, Link scanned the area with his bestial eyes, searching for any sign of the sentries he and Telma both knew littered the lands. So far, there seemed to be no resistance, yet he did not stray far from the wagon as he continually scouted ahead.

As they turned a bend in the road, Link stretched back a silent hand, motioning for Telma to halt the cart. Understanding, she pulled easily on the reins so that the beasts would remain hushed. Link then leapt from his horse, eyes focused on a bulblin archer who had obviously abandoned its post to rest. Drawing his blade, Link crept along through the path, drifting from Telma's sight. He circled behind the archer as it sat humming upon a log.

Suddenly, the quiet melody stopped, and Link returned to Epona sheathing a bloodied saber, and-if the barkeep was not mistaken-there were a few dark freckles upon his face that had not before speckled his visage.

Link motioned to Telma and she again cracked the reins, and when they passed the spot where tiny puddles of red stained the ground, she could not identify the owner of the liquid out of the darkness. She stared ahead at the young lad and a reassured smile dotted her lips. She had been unsure if his small appearance had housed the kind of ruthless quality needed to dispatch the sentinels across their path, but now she realized that there was much more to this youth than could be guessed by his short stature. He could have been mistaken for one of the high knights of Hyrule if he were not so young.

Hours passed by quickly, and they soon rolled across the cliffs stretching high above Lake Hylia. Resettling himself in Epona's saddle, Link pressed her forward to reach the Great Bridge. The stones were no longer graced with the foul smelling oil that had caused Midna and him disaster upon their first coming; however, in the distance, Link could make out the distinct form of an ogre astride a mighty boar.

The same ogre from the woods. The same king of the bulblins he had slain at the Bridge of Eldin … or so he had thought. There was no mistaking it, though. Link knew those eyes, those glowing red eyes too small for its squished, plump face. He knew those crooked teeth, the way it dared him to challenge its strength.

Seeing this beast alive burned every muscle, every fiber, in Link's body. The rage that had fueled him on the fields of Eldin flushed anew within him. He had finally regained Ilia and was leading her on the way to safety. He would not suffer this monster to live any longer. Link blamed this King Bulblin for the injuries Ilia had endured. It was its fault that the memory of him had been washed away like footprints in sand by the storm in Ilia's mind.

Link swiftly jerked back Epona's reins. She reared to a halt just as Telma managed to arrest the pace of her beasts as well. Telma frowned, but Link's brain was already ticking through the many means he had to dispatch this enemy. He wanted with every pulsing vein to ride up and slash the ogre's life blood from its throat, but he staved off the urges that budded from his fresh anger. Instead, he grappled the bow from his back and tested the string before nocking an arrow. He had an idea, but he wanted to analyze his assumption before falling to drastic measures. From his idle position, he aimed carefully at King Bulblin, still trying to calm the nasty craving that willed him to drive blade through bone.

He released the arrow and it sailed directly into the beast's heart … but it bounced away without dealing any harm to the creature. As Link had presumed by the oversized appearance, the ogre was wearing an extensive about of heavy armor. Link had only succeeded in angering the monster, and with a mighty growl, it galloped toward Link and his charge. As it came nearer, Link could see a long and nasty scar underneath the armor of its right armpit, which only confirmed the ogre's identity. Sweating away his panic with a dose of his fury, he reached for his backside pack and pulled out a little round ball the size of his palm. Yet, King Bulblin was still a good distance away, and Link did not know if he could throw that far in a direct line. And if he missed….

Quickly, apologizing to his horse, he yanked several locks of hair from her mane, tied the orb to his next arrow, and struck a spark to the tiny fuse with the saddle. He may not have been capable of striking his target by hurling the weapon, but with his bow … he would not miss.

Epona whined and danced as Link aimed his next blow. "Steady, girl." He balanced himself and launched this arrow from a higher angle to compensate for the added weight. When he released the modified shaft, it landed with a sharp zip into the beast's thick neck. The monster, unfazed by the blow, snatched the annoyance from its throat, but groaned dumbly at the tiny flickering fire that raged upon the dark sphere.

In the next moment, a thundering crack blew against the air and a flash of light sparked against the sky. A cloud of smoke poured over the scene at the middle of the bridge. Link clicked his heels into Epona, and pulling ahead into the haze of dust, he saw that the bridge had been left undamaged. The bulblin king's mount had curled up in a dead heap at the edge. Link spotted parts of the bomb's casing imbedded in its skull. The ogre was nowhere to be found, and Link thought it blown to pieces until he heard a heavy splash below. He drew Epona up to the side of the bridge and watched as the water coursed with fresh ripples. If it had not been mortally injured by the explosion-the perfect culmination of Link's rage-then it would drown in the lake, for Link doubted its ability to swim with so much armor weighing it down.

"At least this time, you didn't manage to blow up the bridge," snickered Midna at a tone only he could hear. Rubbing off the comment, he signaled for Telma to move across the bridge. As she came upon his position, she threw a smile and a wink his way. "Nice arm, honey!"

The path beyond the bridge wound tightly about the countryside, cliffs and dense groves forcing them to stay on the road instead of detouring through areas with more protection from stray threats. Ever vigilant, Link threw his gaze everywhere at once. At any sign of danger upon the high rocky walls or the dangling boughs surrounding them, Link immediately cast an arrow. Each time a shaft was thrust from his bowstring, Ilia and Telma could hear the complementing thud of a dead soldier.

When they at last reached the clearing beyond the narrow road, Link breathed a sigh of relief. They had made it to South Hyrule Field. A third of the journey now lay behind them, but day was breaking. Link and Telma had agreed to rest only for a few hours at a time to prevent any patrols from spotting them; however, now that dawn had come, Link reassessed that decision. Having traversed this area before, Link knew the location of each bokoblin guard, and he knew that the vast field would not provide much cover for the large wagon. Talking it over with Telma first, they eventually agreed to spend the day within the dense grove. Traveling with the cover of darkness would help shield the bulky carriage.

Link led them back into the groves on the border of the field, and after finding the perfect patch of trees to shield them from view, he hopped down from his saddle. They were at the base of one of the mountains, nestled into a thicket combined with large stones overridden with moss. It was here they made camp. They did not dare make a fire to cook, so Link did not bother straying off to hunt. He helped Telma lift a crate down from the back of the cart, stealing a quick glance at Ilia, who cooled the Zora child with wet towels.

As Telma rifled through the crate, Link took up a handful of carrots after asking permission. She watched in silence as Link stepped away to offer his horse the food. The boy had not thought to tend to his hunger. He instead put others before him, and she found that inspiring in such youth. Humming quietly, Telma arranged a few plates of food, ranging from berries, crackers, dried vegetables, and a slice of fresh tomato each. She set two plates on a large stump for Ilia and Link along with a mug of water before calling them over.

Link pulled Epona over to the wagon and tied her reins off with the other two horses. He patted down her mane when she tossed her head at the sight of them. "Stop showing off, girl," he said with a quiet smile. He scratched the top of her head and kissed her cheek before leaving her to her comrades. Link leaned down to pluck up his meal just as Ilia had clambered free of the cart to do the same. Link froze as did Ilia, before recovering to slowly and quietly pick up the plate and glass, passing Link an awkward and uncomfortable smile. She retreated to sit on a log to the right of the stump.

Clearing his throat, Link finished gathering up his meal, averting his gaze from Telma, who had quietly watched the interaction while digging out a meal for herself. Link settled onto the grass across from the women, the stump serving as the centerpiece to their camp. The quiet hanging over the meal was broken only by the intermittent sounds of wildlife and birds passing through the trees and sky. Even the hearty Telma did not break the silence as she poured a cup of mead.

The minutes ticked by, and Ilia was the first to finish with her food. Link had tried not to glance her way to prevent from making her feel even more uncomfortable … and in an attempt to keep his feelings in check. He had to stay focused on the forest noises instead of wallowing against the twisted edges of his broken heart. It was a hard war to fight.

Ilia fled to the comfort of the carriage, its walls a shield to protect her against the deep blue gaze of their guide. Link wrenched his stare from the wagon, catching a knowing glance from Telma before he returned his eyes to his plate.

"So," came Telma's motherly voice, full of cheerful air, "where is it you're from?"

The sudden note of her voice startled him as he swallowed a bite of tomato. Wiping his lips with the back of his hand and trying to smear away his frown, he answered, "Ordon."

"Ah, I know it," she nodded. "Never been myself, but I get all kinds in my tavern."

Link took a sip of water.

"So, how's it a boy like you has skills better than a knight? Surely, your parents are worried with you being on the road," she pried with a friendly grin.

Link fingered the crackers on his plate, unconsciously crunching one into dust between his thumb and forefinger as he fell into the memory of a childhood where he had never known his birth parents. He bit a frown away, and replied, "The smithy taught me." He looked up to see Telma nodding, and even though he had just met the woman, he felt an instant bond of trust. Only with that did he feel at ease enough to admit, "He raised me."

"I see," she said, downing a last draught of mead before setting her mug aside. "Good man to produce such a brave boy like you."

Her smile was infectious, and a grin tugged at Link's mouth against his will. "Thank you," he said. He bit off half a cracker. "I owe him a lot."

Shifting on the log, Telma softened her voice before asking, "So, that girl…. She's from Ordon, too?"

Link's throat swelled again, and it was hard to swallow the mashed cracker. He nodded, wondering if Ilia was listening to their conversation. "We grew up together."

He did not need to look to know how Telma's face dropped then, like a mother helpless to console her only child's sorrows. But then her spirits lifted once more, and she clicked her cheek. "She'll be all right, honey. You'll see."

Unable to eat anymore, Link gathered himself up from the grass. He put the plate and cup on the stump and started past the wagon.

"Where you going? You should get some sleep," she called after him.

He turned back to her. "I'm fine. I'll keep watch." He could see the dark circles under Telma's eyes, but did not bring attention to her apparent weariness out of respect. Without waiting for her response, he disappeared into the surrounding trees.

===============

When the sunlight all but diminished from the evening sky, Telma packed up the carriage once again and made ready to continue on the road to Kakariko. Link had returned to the camp as the fingers of night ushered away the last rivers of violet flowing through the clouds. Even under the darkness, Telma could see the weariness painted over Link's eyes. They had a long journey still ahead and she was worried more for his safety in knowing that he had been awake all through the day and would be forced to stay alert during the course of the night.

What Telma did not know was that Link had taken a short rest when Midna had stepped in to keep watch. She had at first demanded that they continue on during the day, but Link had cut her off immediately. He, too, wished that they could have carried on, if anything for the sake of the worsening Zora child, but the facts remained. They needed cover of darkness and rested horses if they were to arrive in Kakariko at all. After she had lost that argument, she had then insisted that Telma's _young knight_ needed to rest as well. She had been so persistent, and only now did Link admit to himself how foolish it would have been to refuse. Midna had woken him only a few hours ago, but it had not been a restful sleep. Laynaru's vision had played repeatedly in his dreams, and his mind was still sick with the grief of Ilia's condition. This was the fatigue Telma now saw, not the apparent lack of sleep, but the plague infesting his mind as it spread into weary eyes.

Link led the way again, navigating them back through the forest to reach the clearing of South Hyrule Field. He drew to a halt at the border to survey their route.

The moon hung dim tonight, and Link was thankful. Sentinels and their torches would be easier to spot this way. Already, he could see several of them dancing in the distance and others still dotted around the many hills. It was in the movement of these torches, or lack thereof, that Link took count of which patrols were on the move and which remained stationary. The quickest path to Kakariko would have been to make straight for the bridge stretching over the lake near the center of the field, but with this as the only water source for hundreds of miles, this was the one place sure to have the most patrols … and so the one place to keep away from.

They would head along the northern paths, he decided shortly, and wrap around the field before heading father south to reach the pass leading into Eldin. Whatever the route, there was no denying that day would be upon them again while they were still traversing the plains. They would have to make camp somewhere on the field, and the thought did not settle well. Even less patrolled as the north was, Link knew that they would not be able to move without stopping quite often so that he could get the jump on a few of the guards. It would be a very tense night.

Link relayed his strategy to Telma, and then they were off, winding down and through the areas of the field most populated in growth. He set a pace just shy of a canter to minimize the noise, but with every dip in the terrain, the wheels of the cart squeaked and the swaying canopy creaked. Each time the trees broke apart to expose them to the open air, Link stepped up their pace until they reached the next copse of trees. The noise from the wagon stabbed at Link's brain, and he thought for sure they would be spotted.

They made their way in silence, stopping, starting, slowing down, and speeding up. Even before transforming into the wolf, Link's eyes had been keen to the darkness. Now, the void no longer bothered him at all, and he could see every leaf, every blade of grass, as if the sun were blaring down upon them. He watched the bobbing lights of the torches for any breaks in pattern, for they were now deep into the field and surrounded, at varying distances, by the bokoblin sentries.

There were a few times that Link had leapt down from Epona, instructing Telma to remain hidden until he could deal with a guard that could not be silently bypassed. He hated leaving the wagon unprotected, so he had asked Midna to stay with them each time. She did so with silent annoyance, disgusted by the way he ordered her about, but she watched over the carriage all the same. With every guard Link dispatched, he took time to hide the body and plant the torch in the ground, as if to show the others that the bokoblin was at its post.

Link continued along the field in this manner until the sun began to tease the horizon before them. Forested hills sprouted at the northeast end of the field, but it was still miles away. After dealing with the last guard between them and shelter, Link kicked Epona into a gallop, with Telma following close behind. They passed the occasional tree as they made their way down the sloping field and across a wide expanse of barren dirt before at last disappearing into the thick of the wooded hills.

They slowed to a trot within the cover of the trees, and before long they came upon a glade covered in a thick coat of tall grass and mossy saplings.

As Telma and Ilia made camp, Link continued on into the woodland to weigh their options for the next night. Though it would have been much more convenient to cut into Eldin across these hills for the fewer number of patrols and the shorter distance, Link knew that the carriage would not hold up along its jagged terrain and steep climbs. They would have no choice but to retreat back into the field and loop around to the pass farther south.

"You know we should keep going," said Midna, appearing at his side as he looked down at the canyon in the distance that separated them from Eldin. Link clenched his teeth at her words, frustrated with this argument.

"It's too dangerous to travel in the day." It was the same thing he had said the previous dawn. Then he added sternly, "I won't gamble with their lives."

"Like you're gambling with the life of that Zora?" she snapped in return, and Link looked at her, outraged at first. His eyes betrayed him momentarily with a flash of concern before he steeled himself against her attack. Midna had already dealt the damage, however, and in that moment she knew she was right. Link had weighed the dilemma of travelling during the day to bring help to Ralis sooner or traveling only during the night so that they had a better chance of reaching the village without incident.

"You're willing to sacrifice Prince Ralis to keep your precious Ilia from harm, aren't you?" continued Midna, knowing she had exposed a nerve. "What is it about her that you would jeopardize your quest?"

Link gritted his teeth and refused to answer such a ridiculous question. Did she even care about Ralis, or was she just trying to make him feel guilty? He knew the risks of only traveling at night. He knew Ralis was getting weaker, but if they were seen or caught by the guards, the odds of the Zora living would be greatly diminished.

"We've already been on the road for two days, and Ralis has been sick longer than that. He could die before we even make it to Kakariko, and then where would we be?" she asked, stabbing at the nerve she had unearthed.

But Link turned to her then, for she had betrayed her thoughts. "Of course," he said with pursed lips. "Your only thought is for Ralis."

"Hey, don't think I'm getting all sentimental," she snapped. Her toothy smirk made an appearance. "I'm just saying what you're all worried about." She stuck her chin out as if she had been the only one to realize the terrible truth. "That kid's dying."

"But that's not why you're worried," said Link, staring her down. "With his safety comes Rutela's gift and our journey to the lakebed."

At first, Midna looked livid that Link had discovered the truth of her words, but she straightened herself, folding her arms and looking the part of some privileged noble. "We need the last Fused Shadow."

"And I'll get it," said Link.

His blue gaze pierced through her red eye, and she had never felt more uncomfortable in his presence. Determined to even the score, Midna uncrossed her arms and approached him so that the shadow of her face consumed his view. "You're still just a boy, so let me tell you something about the world," she grinned, cocking her head. "Sometimes things are taken from you and you have to make sacrifices if you hope to survive."

"Maybe that's true," agreed Link, but then he hardened his gaze, "but I'm not you."

Like a wound to the heart, Midna stopped breathing for a moment before her eye narrowed and her fang stabbed into the air. Her words came in bursts of restrained hatred. "Don't think … that you know _anything_ of the horrors I've witnessed." Her fists clenched as her lips twitched. Link had never seen more fury behind her gleaming red eye, and he thought her truly on the brink of explosion.

Midna had frozen her heart against the memories that welled inside her then, memories she would never share with Link, memories that had once made her sick with grief and guilt, but she had sworn to never give in to such feelings again. She took in a long breath, as if to paint a fresh coat of ice over her scarred soul, before lashing out. "That lady was right in calling you _knight_. You're a worthless coward like the rest of them."

At that, she disappeared into the night.

Link could not help being furious with her, but he also could not help feeling sorry for her. She was right that he did not know what had happened to her, but he had already made a good guess. Her hatred for Zant ran deep, and she was blind to that rage so much that she would unnecessarily risk the lives of others in order to acquire the power she needed to defeat him. She would make sacrifice after sacrifice to reach that end, not because it was the right thing to do, but because it was the easiest and fastest way to enact her revenge. The way she talked about Zant taking the throne for himself had given him every reason to believe that the royal family had been killed or imprisoned. The cold and vindictive words with which she had just attacked Link was the last evidence he needed to prove how far she would go to avenge those she had loved and lost.

Though he had a different way of doing things, Link had to admit that he had undertaken his journey due to his unshakeable loyalty to others as well. Friends, family, and a usurped sovereign.

Link and Midna had more in common than he liked to realize.

===============

The day seemed to wear on slowly, and with Midna hanging as a silent shadow, Link did not refuse the few hours' sleep Telma insisted he take. As he slept nestled against a resting Epona, nightmares infected his dreams once more, dark images of Ilia screaming and wildfires consuming every inch of Hyrule Field. The image of Ilia burning alive overtook his mind. Her wails of agony shattered his sleep, and he bolted upright as he reached for his sword beside him. As he regained his senses, he realized Telma was nowhere to be found, but Ilia was sitting on the back of the cart.

He could tell that Ilia had been watching him sleep, perhaps torn between waking him from the fit of his dreams and keeping away out of fear. She now sat on the edge with her back leaning against one of the sides and a leg dangling limply out of the wagon.

Looking toward the waning sunlight, Link realized he had been asleep far longer than he would have liked. It was then that Telma returned to camp, smiling at seeing Link only just now waking. They worked together to pack in the crates again and ready the horses for another night's travel.

It was not until then that one of the horses hitched to the wagon reared up and tossed about, threatening to break free. Link quickly rushed over to grab the reins. He patted down its mane and soothed the beast with gentle words. After a moment, the horse settled, but Link could tell it was still on edge as it threw dirt around at its feet.

An arrow whizzed by and landed in the front panel of the carriage, just inches shy from having struck Link. Link instantly backed away from the horses and sent a searching glance into every crevice of the woodland before spotting the bokoblin archer that had attacked them. Link yanked out the still wobbling arrow and sent it straight back at the bokoblin before anyone had even realized he had pulled out his bow. As the archer fell as a corpse to the earth, Link raced to secure Epona's saddle. Telma leapt onto the cart, and Ilia braced her arms around the Zora.

It only took Link a few seconds to mount his horse and pull her around. He and Telma sped away from the glade and on to the edge of the woodland. Below the hills, Link spied a group of bokoblins searching the area by torchlight, and much farther in the distance, a few others fussed over a body they had found. They had likely been hunting for the culprit throughout the day.

Hearing the sudden sound of the squeaky wheels of the cart, a bokoblin looked up from its search and spotted them. Eyes wide in seeing Link nock an arrow to his bow, the violet-skinned guard signaled to the others nearby before the arrowhead sailed right through its throat. Their screeches at the death of their comrade turned to war cries when they saw Link in the distance. Rallied together, the two soldiers ran toward the woods. As Telma stayed back, Link urged Epona forward. He sent another arrow sailing, and as it hit one in the chest, Link drew his sword and cut down the other when he came in close.

Link gazed toward the torches in the distance, trying to ascertain if they had seen or heard anything, but Ilia's yelps drew his attention away. Gazing back, he realized that the bokoblins had infested the woodland as well. Three of them attacked the wagon at once, and Telma forced the horses into a gallop. Link yanked back on Epona's reins to turn about and sprinted as he shouldered his bow and held his sword ready. He caught up with the cart and its assailants only moments later, the hard steel of his blade bashing through their bodies in a whir of motion.

Telma did not stop to recover from the altercation, but she did turn a quick glance backward to watch as Epona danced in a circle while Link looked west into the field. There he spied bulblin riders speeding toward them. Obviously drawn toward the sounds of the bokoblins' efforts, the riders were coming in swiftly, two per boar, arrows hopping with blazing tips. A shudder fell through Link's spine, and he bolted to come in line with Telma. "Make for the pass! As fast as you can go!" He pointed with his tainted sword, and his frantic voice caught in Ilia's ears. Leaning outward, she caught sight of the approaching riders.

"Link?" she called in a frightened tone.

He let Epona drift behind to the back of the wagon to meet the ghost-white face of Ilia. She grabbed for his right arm, and he wanted so desperately to be with and console her, but he had to protect her. He shifted his arm so that her hand slid down to his, and he squeezed her fingers firmly.

Ilia's next words were interrupted when the carriage gave a jolt and broke their hands apart. The last thing Link saw before galloping off toward the rushing bulblin riders was Ilia's terrified eyes glimmering under the dim starlight. He tried to push his emotions away and blamed the sting in his eyes on the wind that now beat against his face.

He had encountered this situation before, facing riders like these on horseback. This time, however, there did not appear to be a leader among them to rally their attacks. He noticed by the way they moved that they were a disjointed group, swerving all about and only just realizing the movements of their fellows when they needed to readjust their course. This would be Link's prominent advantage. Thus, relying on their disorganization, Link pounced upon his first victim, the first wave of fiery arrows streaming above his head. Thrusting his sword throughout their unit, Link had downed three bulblins before they had even been able to ready their next volley. By the time they released their arrows, Link had moved on to the rearmost riders.

His strategy proved effective. Their delayed responses were just what he had expected.

Another two riders dead.

However, the bulblin who had lost its companion already turned its mighty beast crashing into Epona. An exasperated neigh escaped her as she landed hard upon the cold grass. Link, having been launched from her saddle, landed hard beside her and his breath caught painfully. Link held his throbbing chest as his breath came in wheezes, too stunned from the impact to move. The dagger-wielding bulblin then leapt and perched atop Epona. Its smile released a putrid scent from behind brown teeth. Moaning and coughing through short breaths, Link discovered that his sword had been wedged underneath Epona.

Just as the bulblin reared back to plunge the dagger into Link's heart, Epona jerked and kicked, and the bulblin went sailing. It crashed to the ground meters away as Epona gathered herself to stand again. She reared with a mighty neigh then stepped up to her master and nudged her nose across his cheek. Link patted her head with a smile and plucked up his sword. "Good girl." He held fast to her bridle, and she helped him climb back to his feet. He leaned against the strong sinews of her body until he heard the grunts of the bulblin nearby. His gaze lethal, Link looked toward the felled archer and twirled the hilt of his blade in his hand. As Link staggered forward, the bulblin attempted to right itself, but blade met flesh and the creature coughed its last breath.

Link stood over the body for a moment, catching his tight breaths and playing over the battle in his mind. It was in that moment, as he tallied the number of bulblins he had defeated, that he tossed a frenzied gaze about the entire field. One pair had escaped him.

His eye caught in the distance on the image of a blazing fire. The bulblin seated on the back of the last boar aimed its flaming arrow at Telma's wagon as the other steered their beast and urged it closer. When the cart and the riders disappeared into the entrance of the pass, Link regained his sense of movement. He unsheathed his sword from the dead body at his feet and cloaked it within its scabbard. Quickly, he stole the bokoblin's dagger and whistled at Epona. She sprang into a gallop, and Link hopped into her saddle, dagger ready for the kill.

As he feared, he had not reached Ilia and Telma in time. When he rounded the bend in the walls of the surrounding hills and mountains, he found the tarp of the wagon ablaze. Ilia's screams rattled Link, and he could see her through the smoke as she tried to cover Ralis from harm. The memory of his nightmare came to him in a flash, and where fear began to infest his heart, a deep, raging pit of anger shook loose inside, and Link leaned forward in his saddle, a deep furrow in his brows creasing his forehead. Before the archer astride the boar could aim another arrow, Link steadied Epona directly behind them. As he leapt forward onto the pair, the dagger glinting like a quick flash of lightning promising a thunderous aftermath, Link simultaneously and reflexively ripped his boomerang from his belt and whipped it toward the wagon.

After he silenced the bulblins with heavy slashes to their necks, Link gazed up in time to realize he had just caught his returning boomerang in his opposite hand. He did not have time to marvel at how well attuned his reflexes had become. The wagon's fires now vanquished, Link belted the item once more. Telma refused to stop the carriage now, and Link leapt for Epona as she passed him, hauling himself upright as she sped for the cart. Link steered her to the front of the wagon, where a bokoblin stood staring dumbfounded at the cart raging toward it. Without reaction, the dark-skinned foe was trampled by Epona.

The hours passed by like minutes as they scrambled through the pass. Link stayed on alert, and eliminated each bokoblin to cross their path. As the mountains surrounding the pass began to dwindle into hills once more, they knew they were not long for the gorge. Link cut down the two bokoblins at the end of the pass with an arrow each. As the beasts fell moaning to their deaths, Link and Telma headed into the open terrain. The wooden bridge over the canyon was fast approaching, but there were several bokoblins, both on and beyond the bridge that had been alerted to their presence from the all the commotion.

Link seemed to react on mere instinct now, discarding the filthy dagger he still carried by tossing it into the chest of a sentry patrolling the bridge. Dead instantly, it fell backward into the abyss of the canyon. Link passed over the bridge quickly as Telma tailed close behind. The other bokoblins raged forward as one unit, and Link killed two of them with another two arrows. With a great swing of his sword, a third was executed, and after the last kill, he charged ahead and slashed through the chains that still held the gate to Kakariko closed. On command, Epona reared back and struck the doors open with her forelegs. Link then turned his horse on her heels.

Telma tossed him a thankful nod, but he did not notice. His eyes paced the dark grounds, which now bore the stains of the falling rain. As thunder crashed over the distant fields, Link tugged on Epona's reins and pursued his charge into Kakariko.

===============

Although rain poured from the heavens, the feel of the warm water against Link's face refreshed him. He could feel his hands shaking as he lifted the cloth from his cheeks and placed it gently once more on the edge of the wash basin.

Within the corner room of Renado's new house, Link could now truly rest from the horrors he had faced since last leaving the town. He had come to associate a strange kind of security when surrounded by the red mountains of this village. Cuts spotted his knuckles and cheeks, and after cleansing his face from the stains of the sentries, Link leaned against the table upon which Luda had set the basin and closed his eyes longingly.

He was alone, waiting for news of Ralis. It had been nearly a half hour since their coming to Kakariko, and though he had been happy to see the Ordonian children again, a sadness had swollen within him, and he could not bring himself to face their questions about Ilia's health. He had stolen away to isolation since his arrival, and save for Luda, he had admitted no one into his temporary room.

"You know," came a voice that startled Link, "sulking isn't going to bring that girl's memory back."

Midna.

She did not rise from his shadow, but he was still surprised to hear from her so soon after their argument. Her words carried a very _I told you so_ melody, for even through all his attempts at avoiding conflict, they had fought every minute of their last night to Kakariko, and there had been some very close calls.

Link could feel that Midna was still angry with him, still fuming at the way he had spoken to her, but what she did not know was that he had already forgiven her for all her cruel remarks. Still, he could not help the bitterness in his voice when he barked back, "I know." He breathed deep. "It's just-" He stopped himself short. Had he really been about to confide in the little imp? The same imp who had called him coward and been willing since day one to put him into harm's way for her own means? Yet, even through all this, she was the same little creature who had saved his life in Hylia without second thought, and the same curious stranger in whom he had begun to see sorrow and empathy in her glances toward him.

Now, instead of the dread he felt for Ilia's condition consuming him, he also battled with his deep confusion in how he felt toward his companion.

Groaning, he splashed more water onto his face, but dissatisfied, he instead dunked his entire head into the basin. He wished he could wash away his feelings that easily, and realizing that that was exactly what he was trying to do, he jerked his head out of the stimulating water. It could cleanse blood, not grief.

Disgruntled with himself and the situation, he turned on his heel and sat down against the table, his drenched locks splattering against his face. He pulled the towel from behind him and wiped it carelessly across his visage.

At last a knock rapped against his door, and Luda cracked it open just slightly. "The Zora child sleeps, now. My father wishes to speak with you. Please, come."

Relieved that there was some news, Link sprang to his feet, dropped the cloth back onto the table, and joined Luda in the hallway. She led him across the creaking floorboards to the railing of the terrace that surveyed the downstairs. There, Link met Renado, who looked over the railing at Malo and Talo as they played. Telma also occupied the room below, sitting in a chair that leaned against the bar.

Renado turned to Link as he came forward. Luda retreated into the room where Ralis slept as Colin exited and stepped up to the two men. "So, is he going to be all right?" the child asked.

Smiling, the shaman nodded. "He has passed through the worst of it. As long as he rests, he should recover in due time."

Colin breathed a sigh of relief, but when he looked up to Link to share a grin, he discovered that Link could barely mimic the gesture. Before Colin could inquire as to his state, Renado asked, "Do you know the fate of his mother?"

Link broke his gaze with Colin to face the older man. He should have been expecting the question, but its mention slapped him hard.

"He has been mumbling about her almost constantly," pressed Renado. "Her welfare consumes him."

It seemed all voice had been lost to Link. Never before had he been demanded to relate the death of a loved one, and the memory of seeing the queen's ghostly form made his eyes flinch. This small movement betrayed Link's composure, and Renado shook his head gently when he noticed this. "I can see the knowledge grieves you. It must be an awful memory."

"I-" tried Link. He calmed his disconcerted nerves by closing his eyes momentarily then staring up into Renado's knowing gaze. "She wanted to be sure her son was looked after."

"Then I'll stay with him until he's better!" Colin volunteered, and it was the first time he had seen Link smile since he had returned. "No matter how long it takes."

"Is that so?" asked Renado, as he walked over to the boy and crouched low. "Thank you, Colin."

It was then, however, that Link's attention was drawn to the doorway that now lay behind the pair. Luda leaned past Ilia to tend to the Zora child, and as she did so, Ilia looked up from a daze. A vacant expression filled her eyes, and it was unbearable to Link. He knew that she was trying to summon the knowledge that had become embers somewhere within her.

"Renado…."

The shaman regained his footing and regarded Link.

"I need to ask you-"

"We should discuss this downstairs," interrupted Renado.

Link found it unnerving how the shaman could always read the thoughts within his mind before he even spoke them aloud. He followed him downstairs, Colin tailing behind. Renado seated himself, his eyes quivering in the light, as if he was trying to decide how to word the news.

The young warrior remained patient, oddly thanking that there was silence before the storm of ill tidings, as he knew would be the case. Yet it was Colin who prompted the shaman. "Then is it true what Luda said about her?"

Breaking through his quiet, Renado nodded. "Yes, Colin. Ilia has lost her memory, and regaining it will be no simple task."

Sighing, Link collapsed to lean against the wall. He looked at his feet, shaking his head. So, there was a chance, but not a very good one. He blinked back a few tears when he heard Renado try to comfort Colin. "It will be all right, child. If we just give her some time, I am certain that Ilia will find her heart again."

_Her heart_…. Link's chest heaved tightly, gripped by the iron weight of grief and misery.

"So, Colin," continued Renado, "I'd like to ask you to stay in this village until then. It is our turn to show the courage that you have already displayed." This cheered the young boy, and he raced back up the stairs.

Renado then turned his silent attention to Link, who then jerked himself from his trance. He only hoped that shadow covered his face in the dim lighting so that the shaman could not detect his true turmoil. "Thank you," said Link. "Colin is-" he watched as the boy flew out of view toward the room where Ralis rested. "He has always been very fond of Ilia."

With that, Renado stood, his voluminous robe swishing behind him. He approached Link by a few paces and peered into the soul behind the young man's eyes. "He is not the only one, I see."

Slightly embarrassed, Link tore his gaze away, trying as hard as he could to keep his tears at bay. He did not want to look at the man as he said softly, "She doesn't even remember my name, my face. My eyes…." Taken aback at his confession, Link fell silent for a moment, realizing that Talo and Malo had stopped playing their games. They sat on the floor, their backs to Renado and him. He knew that they must be trying to hear what was being said, but Link could not contain his emotions any longer. "I look at her," he continued, "and I used to see…." Link shook his head at the notion, and rephrased his statement. "I look at her now and all I see is pain. I've failed her."

Renado allowed Link a moment, and when he was sure that the young man had collected what was left of his composure, he spoke. "I know it must be difficult for you, but this will take time. She needs to remember by her own efforts. Too many words may confuse her, but" -Link directed his full attention to the shaman- "perhaps you should try speaking with her. Hearing a familiar voice may help."

Reluctant yet wanting to help Ilia in any way possible, Link finally nodded. He moved from Renado toward the stairs, and Talo and Malo shifted furtive glances toward him. They had not been able to hear Link's voice, which had been lower than a whisper, but from what they had been able to gather from the pieces they had overheard from Renado, Ilia's situation did not bode well. Another indication that sent a tremble of worry through them was the telltale smears below Link's eyes.

Renado observed Link as he ascended the last step; then he turned to the two children. The hour late, he ushered them into another room to prepare for sleep.

On the landing above, Link peered into the rather wide room that housed the recovering Zora. Colin helped Luda by wringing out a fresh cloth of cool water and handing it to her. Ilia's seat, however, now lay unoccupied. Link stepped farther into the room and peaked into a corner where he found Ilia staring out a window into the night sky.

It took a few moments before Link approached her drained appearance. What if she asked him questions that he could not answer? What if he would be unable to comfort her in her most desperate and frightening time of need?

He tried to clear his throat of its hard lump, but he only succeeded in drawing Ilia's awareness to his presence. Nervously, he stepped alongside her, and she waited for him to say something, but when he did not speak, she returned her gaze to the outside world. Unsettled and now unsure of himself, he, too, averted his gaze to the chill of the raining night.

After several moments, Ilia spoke. "I want to thank you again. The Zora child, Ralis, is saved due to your efforts." She looked to him then, "You've been so kind to both of us, helping those that you don't even know. It's … reassuring."

When she glanced down to her hands, no amount of uncertainty could restrain Link any longer. "Ilia, are you all right?" he asked.

"Oh?" She raised her eyes to him, unsure as to why being near him caused her heart to ache. "Is-Is that my name?"

"I-uh-yes." Link turned his gaze downward and toyed with the window pane. How long had it been since he had gazed out Ilia's very window when he had gone to see her father? He could remember wishing she had been with him, yet now that they stood together within a similar setting, Link knew that his wish had been incomplete. He had wanted her safe. That is all he had cared about. But now … now he worried for her sanity.

"Ilia…." She tested the name upon her lips. "Yes, it does seem familiar. Wait," a hopeful sparkle radiated from her green orbs. "Then-do you know me after all?"

"Yes," breathed Link. "I-I know you don't remember, but I wanted you to know that I shall always be here for you … as I have always been."

Ilia smiled, finding some comfort in the notion. "I suppose it was there when I met you, that feeling that I knew you somehow. It's like … a face in the market that you see-someone you've never known and never will meet. When you see them again, you recognize … but you can't seem to place where you saw them before." Ilia was trying hard to convey the difficulty of living with her fractured memory. "That's how it's been with you. When I saw you in Telma's Bar, and then … when you told me your name … I thought I'd seen you someplace before, and I couldn't seem to remember where that was."

Link could not think of anything to say in return to this pronouncement, and his prolonged silence forced more questions from Ilia. "How-how did we meet? Before then in the bar?"

An agitation swelled up Link's spine, but the feeling was so misplaced that he staggered slightly. Only moments later did he come to realize it had been Midna's impatience that had escaped from his shadow to crawl into his flesh. Ignoring Midna, Link tried to find the right words to say to Ilia, therefore, speaking slower and more carefully. He did not want to confuse her memory with too many details. "We were childhood friends," he began. "We grew up together in a small village. I can't exactly remember how it happened. I just know that I have always known you."

"Hmm," she gave out a short, light chuckle. "That's nice." She lost herself in another daze, and Link understood that she was trying to make sense of this new information and find a home for it in her frazzled mind. He did not want to interrupt that process, so he remained still, observing her agitated silence. Yet before long, it seemed that she had either surrendered for the moment or forgotten what it was Link had said. Either way, she stared back up at him, the dazzle that had lingered in her eyes for a few moments now reduced to a faint glimmer. "So, will you be staying the night?"

"I'll be leaving again in the morning," he affirmed. And before she lapsed completely back into her mindless trance, he asked, "You'll be staying here as well then? Until the roads are safe again?"

"Yes, Renado said I could stay under his care in this village. And it does seem lovely here. Such wonderful children…."

Realizing that more talk would confuse and further frustrate her, he bade goodnight to her, leaving the conversation before he could restrain himself no longer from the desire to embrace her and keep her under the safety of his arms.

When he left Ilia, he felt like sinking into a bed to try to sleep off his discomfort. He had displayed his deepest feelings like a second, frail skin these past nights, and he could not remember having ever bared his heart in such a manner before. Yet, they were dangerous times in which they all now dwelt, full of hardship. The strongest of bonds were often tested so cruelly in times as these, and that thought alone did nothing to settle his heart, for he wondered if he would ever experience anything like the adversities that had so obviously altered his imp companion into a distant, uncompassionate being.

Instead of gaining access to solitude once more, he stepped out of the room and straight into conversation with Telma. "Nice to see there's still hope here. And it's always nice to see happy results repay your efforts," she said kindly, in a tone that actually made Link feel some warmth.

She leaned against the railing that overlooked the main room below, and Link drew up a stance beside her after closing the door to Ralis's recovery room.

"But those skills of yours…." She shifted, and Link looked to her directly. "Any chance you're of the mind to put them to use for Hyrule?"

"How do you mean?"

"What hope there is in Hyrule is frail and dying," she shook her head as she pulled herself up straight. "But there's still a group trying to do what it can. I'm a member of that group." She stepped toward him and offered her hand. "I'm Telma, by the way."

Realizing that they had never formally exchanged their names, Link presented his and grasped her palm. Though he had already known the barkeep's name, Link did not think it would be wise to try to tell her how exactly he had come to surmise her identity, seeing as though he had been in the form of a beast at that time.

Retaking her arm she again perched against the railing, but this time bent over to look into the room below. "I may just stay here a bit longer myself. I'm still worried about Ilia, and-well, never mind about the rest." Link followed her gaze to find Renado clearing the leftovers from dinner.

Telma then switched back to Link. "I want to see you again at my bar, you hear me, Link?"

He nodded, grinning.

"You know, that bar is actually a kind of safe house for my friends. We don't exactly advertise ourselves to the Hylian guards. I'm sure that they wouldn't prefer ruffians trying to do their job." Telma laughed, but then another thought occurred, and she snorted unkindly. "They'd probably arrest us if they discovered the secret passage that leads into the castle. But if you ever need anything, you just stop by."

"Thanks."

With a wink Telma bade goodnight to Link and thundered down the steps like a giddy child. Link watched from above as the shaman cleared the last of the dishes and made his way into the hall, only to be stopped by Telma, who dug straight into soft conversation.

His smile already faded, Link had come to the point where sleep promised no rest. Perhaps it would be better if he cleared a few thoughts out in the cleansing downpour before turning in. Resolved, Link poured down the stairs and twisted out into the chill splatters from the distant-but natural-sky. And that was the most soothing.

The sky … dark … but free of the twilight curse.


	23. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21: Zoran Gifts**

When Link stepped out into the cascade of heavy rain, he pressed his weight against the wooden railing of the porch steps. The water ran in rivulets down his forehead and stained his cheeks, and he could lose himself at last in the privacy and silence of the cold night. He could not remember a time where his emotions had danced so violently in his head, and it made him dizzy. He lost himself in the darkness parading in his chest, smothered by it. He had steeled himself against the brunt of his emotions for several days, and only now in solitude did his chin quiver. With Ilia's injury, the last of his childhood had been stripped away like it had never happened. He longed for those days, yearned to return to a time where the forest carried laughter through their leaves.

Yet, Link had forgotten that no matter how much he seemed to stand in solitude, it had not existed to him for some time. His shadow now stung at his mind like a mirror through which he could see the true darkness of the world.

Midna sprang from that darkness as if on cue while Link wiped the rain from his eyes. Her blazing red and yellow eye visible through the splatters, she looked confused for a moment on how to approach him. She felt no shame in how she had acted toward him the last time she had made an appearance, but something tugged at her insides. She did not enjoy the feeling and refused to let it fester. She plastered a snarl over her lips. "It's nice that you saved your friends, but what are you doing? We need to get going."

"No, I'm resting here the night," he objected.

"Don't think I don't know the real reason you want to stay."

Link passed a quick glance at her, and with a furrowed brow, he turned away, angry how she could so easily get inside his head. But no matter how intuitive she may have been, he did not expect her to understand. He could not envision the day when she might bemoan the injury or loss of a friend, if she even had a friend in the world. Link, as her ally, was likely the closest thing she had in that regard, and he knew she would never shed a tear for him.

Midna popped around him, her gaze mocking. "I hope you're not blaming me for what happened to her."

"Not as much as I'd like to," said Link, though his reproach contradicted his deepest feelings, and he wanted to think that Midna did not know that. He hoped she was not so vindictive to purposefully wring his emotions out in the pouring rain just to drive the knife a little deeper, for truthfully, Link had been blaming himself. Every time he thought the situation through it always came back to that initial moment when the ogre had come and stolen Ilia away. He had been unable to save her, unable to save any of them, and he charged himself responsible.

Yet, now that he thought on it…. _Was_ Midna accountable for this in some way? Had she contributed to the state of Ilia? When he thoroughly searched his mind, he came upon opposing answers. After their audience with Princess Zelda, she had reminded Link of the tragedy and his desire to search for them by combining her ambition into the mix, therefore administering him to the idea of travel to find his missing friends, yet it had also been she that had tumbled his mind upside-down. Early in his journey, he had concluded that he would find Ilia if he came across the opportunity, but the need to locate the Fused Shadows had then been an absolute priority … until he had discovered their true darkness.

He remembered Lanayru's imparted vision, how he had killed-murdered-Ilia, and it had all been for the power shown before him. The three sacred triangles had been the source of such a powerful lust, and-just as the Interlopers-Link had wanted the power for himself. He recalled how his entire body had pulsed with desire, blinded by the same sinister greed. Through the power of the old, dark magic of the Fused Shadows, he had achieved obtaining that which he had most wanted: those beautiful golden triangles that had swelled with such power he could have lived off their energy for ten thousand lifetimes.

Surfacing from his thoughts, Link realized that he stroked the back of his bare hand. Having removed his bracers and gloves when washing up earlier, he looked to his left hand and the darkened mark that symbolized those very triangles for which he had murdered. How had this sacred mark, which had existed since the dawn of their known civilization, come to brand him? Was the power so strong that it was to be feared as much as worshipped?

Was that why his parents had left him? Or had they left him at all? Had they known the truth of this mark, that it was a powerful yet denied sacred object, and hidden him away? What was the truth to all of this? Who were his parents? Why had he been separated from them? Why was he marked at all?

He broke free of his thoughts, but he discovered Midna had obviously been drinking in his actions all the while, trying to guess his thoughts. Though she said nothing, her eye spoke her mind. She, too, wondered why the mark adorned his skin, and Link realized that this was likely the first time she had seen the back of his bare left hand. And … was that a twinkle of greed in her eye? Or was it jealousy … or perhaps even anger?

Puzzled yet dismissing the chance for any further conversation to spring forth, he turned back in for the house. As he reached for the door, Link's final thoughts centered once again on Ilia, and how-no matter how much he wished he could indeed blame Midna-he had been the guilty one. He had failed her.

His hand on the knob, a sudden chill consumed him, a chill unlike the icy drizzle of rain. It was rather like the mystic cool of a summer wind that seemed to melt away the sound of the closing thunder. It numbed his breaths and dizzied his mind, soothing his weary body. He closed his eyes and, like a mother's hand, the gentle cool guided him back to the railing. He had never quite felt this way before, and he could not understand why he felt drained yet regenerated in the same moment.

Upon opening his eyes, there hovered a nearly transparent woman. She dangled before him like an ornament in the sky. The brightness of the lightning and the pouring rain reflected against and wrinkled through her as if she was but a dying ripple on the surface of a lake. Link recognized her at once as Rutela, the late Zora queen, though her eyes were darker than before, and he no longer saw the trace of any sparkle within her. "This way," her voice whispered, and though she had spoken with such softness, Link could hear the words as if they lived inside him.

He did not look to Midna but followed the queen immediately as she floated toward a section of the town he could not remember ever entering before. Midna, too, pursued the elegant Rutela in Link's wake. They passed by the sanctuary and through a gate pressed between the sides of the mountain behind, and once the path opened up, they stood in a dying plain surrounded by the walls of the mountains and beleaguered by tombstones. The cold, wet drizzle poured across the stones of the dead, and a quiver shot up Link's spine. It was here that he realized he had never truly suffered the loss of someone dear. It was hard to imagine the many ceremonies that had been conducted upon these very grounds, and it left a frigid hole within Link.

He bit back the strange feeling and followed Rutela up handmade stairs of chiseled grey stone past the last row of tombstones. Upon the terrace Link watched as the queen faded into the rock wall, past a stone that now shimmered as if alive with the tide of the deep blue of the ocean. As if by magic, the stone vanished, exposing a narrow passage. Acknowledging that the Zora queen wished him to follow, he sucked in his chest and stomach, trying to make himself as small as possible before edging through the shaft. Midna descended into his shadow.

Once at the end of the tunnel, Link peeled himself free and stumbled into a dark cavern. It was quite large and lit by pockets of dim moonlight that shined in through the tunnel and cracks along the ceiling. The light reflected against the surface of the pond water within, splashing a gentle green against the walls. Queen Rutela, who hovered a small distance away over a rather large gravestone, also gave off a dull gleam, but what remained of her radiance did not bathe the walls … nor did the water mirror her image. She hung there like a dying candle, her light slowly melting away as the night grew colder.

Link leapt into the deep, cool water of the cavern and swam over to the tiny patch of land that served as a tomb. Rutela looked down upon Link, a smile bringing little radiance to her dead eyes. Link pulled himself out of the water and wiped the droplets from his face.

"I am deeply grateful to you for aiding my son in his time of need," the queen spoke softly. Link nodded to her as he fumbled to remove his cap in respect. "You were right to bring him here. Kakariko Village is a sacred place for the Zora people. It is the last and farthest reach of our waters, and so it is here we take our eternal rest."

As she said this, Link noticed that many other shimmers dotted the cavern floor underwater and on other island patches. These, no doubt, were the tombs of countless Zoras, their markers glossed by the splash of water over many decades.

"There is a long history between my people and this place. In the years of our ancestors" -here Link could feel Midna squirm with impatience at realizing the queen was about to pass on the history- "a great demon brought war to the land of Hyrule. In the demon's lust to conquer the king, war spread and my ancestors were attacked. The remnants of the Sheikah tribe saved my people … at great cost." It was almost as if she could see and feel the pain of her ancestors now that she had joined them in the afterlife. "Since that day the Zoras and Sheikah have held a sacred bond. But the Sheikah have been lost to time, as has their homeland, Kakariko of a time long gone. This village is all that remains of that noble race."

"My husband in life, King Zora," she said, looking to the grave beside Link, "also rests his spirit here. It is no coincidence my son found his salvation in this village." Her gaze befell the young Hylian once more, and she nodded kindly. "Now, that which I have promised you…."

Midna fidgeted beneath him, glad the queen's story was over and their reward nigh.

Her graceful hands lifted before her, and her fins billowed outward and twirled about her body. Great plumes of pure blue light flowed in cascades from her hands, and a bundle formed within her grasp. She floated down to Link so elegantly that he refused to blink. Her tendrils of hair, her voluminous robes, and her swaying fins whirled in a kind of ceremonial dance. She handed the lump to Link, and he accepted without a word.

"During his lifetime my husband created garments specifically for the chosen hero, garments that house the abilities of the Zora." Then she nodded again, her head tilting slightly. "Now, at last, I can join the king in slumber. And yet…." Her sorrowful gaze burned into his eyes. "My son still knows nothing of my death. If you are to see him again, please, pass on this message. Tell him…." She decided on the correct phrasing. "Tell him he must not grieve his mother's passing. Tell him she wanted him to be brave and live on as the king of our people. And … tell him his mother loves him … without end. Tell him this."

Her last words burdened unto Link, she made her final departure and faded from existence. Link stared for some time at the spot where she had once been. A smile gently pulled at his lips after a time. She had gone peacefully, without regret. It was that tranquility that Link hoped would envelope him on such occasion … when his end came.

"Well," thundered Midna's voice as the lightning outside echoed onto the outside walls, magnifying the sound within the cavern. "It's a good thing we got this nifty armor then. So, remember the _important_ thing here."

Link directed his gaze onto Midna, who had risen from his shadow once again.

"The last Fused Shadow…."

The mere mention sent a shiver through Link's entire body, and the images that he had seen of the fate of the Interlopers once more descended within his mind. He tried not to listen to Midna as he followed the route back into the graveyard and across the village thoroughfare. He had already stated that he would take a night of rest; if Midna wanted to waste her breath, then so be it.

But when his arm reached the knob of the house, Midna's voice rang higher and more determined, competing with the wilderness that now defined the storm raging above and around them. "Remember what Faron, the Light Spirit, said. You think I want the Shadows for myself, but you forget the spirit's words. Or are afraid of them?" She slinked up Link's spine and came to rest on his shoulder, her words a dark whisper. "You _need_ the Fused Shadows to defeat the dark overlord, Zant, to save _your_ world." Her voice grew menacing. "So, even if you go back now with all the people you saved…. The whole tragedy would just repeat itself. You know what you need to do. We need to go to the temple in the bed of Lake Hylia."

Shivers ran through him as her words pelted him like bitter winter ash. Link judged her then. He had once thought she had changed since their argument in the Goron patriarch's prison, but perhaps he had been mistaken. The tension between them had continued to build, for she still thought only of her desires. She continued to look into his soul and grab at the darkest parts of him, using it to manipulate him. But he could see through this act now, and though he admitted he was afraid of what the Shadows might bring, he would not let that stop him. Without fear there could be no courage.

Could she not plainly see he was exhausted? Could she not understand that, if he did not take half a night's rest, just the zooming thoughts and ideas that clogged his mind would alone deprive him of any strength he had left? His decision for staying had not been solely because of Ilia's health.

He not found restful sleep since he had descended the mountain of the Gorons, and even after that, his wounds had not fully been able to heal. He had started off again, still weary, to wage new battles and bear new atrocities. With his sleep diseased by nightmares and his battles beating fresh cuts and bruises across his tanned flesh, he needed a simple night.

Rest was due.

When Link turned the knob, Midna's voice boomed. "We need to go now."

Defiantly, and with a flicker of annoyance in his eye, Link pushed in on the door. Midna growled, and before her reluctant partner crashed the door in her face, she ducked into his shadow, reserving herself to a silent rage.

===============

When Link awoke from yet another troubled sleep, the first rays of dawn peeked through his window. He rose from his worn bed and approached the small window that peeked into the world outside. Batting back the thin curtain, he peered into the sky. The storm that had fogged the previous night had already cleared, leaving trails of sporadic clouds. Link ignored their weak attempts to appear ominous.

He rubbed a hand over his face, stealing away the last of his sleep. The cool air hummed against his bare chest, and so, he parted from the window to look to his belongings. Sitting in a chair beside the bed laid his green garb, yet Link grabbed the pile of new blue and black armor underneath the familiar tunic.

He could not postpone the journey any longer. He laid out each piece on his bed sheet. He traded his white leggings for the black and then pulled on the tight, sleeveless tunic, the skirt of which seemed much in design to blue tulip petals, but he had to admit he could move very easily wearing it. He then wrapped each part of the leg armor onto his body, his feet appearing as flippers after he had completed the task. Link next pulled the chain mail-which looked more like grey scales-about his chest and waist. Overtop this, he shouldered into the separate sleeves of the blue tunic and clasped them tight against his chest. He dug through his own pile of garments and weaponry until he located his gloves, bracer, belt, sword, and shield.

Link flexed his fingers as he equipped each glove in turn, trying his best to ignore the scar that adorned the left as he then strapped on his bracer. He continued in wrapping the straps of his scabbard about his chest and pulling his belt tight around his armored waist. After slipping his shield overtop his sword and slinging his quiver and bow over his shoulders, he returned a much lighter bomb bag to his back pouch and tucked his boomerang tightly into his belt. His lantern remained on the floor of his temporary quarters; it was foolish to take it into the depths of Lake Hylia.

He then turned to the very last piece of armor. Link gently picked up the ancient headpiece. It was comprised of a head fin much to the likeness of a Zora, dotted with white on the seam which divided the black underbelly from the bluish top. A golden helmet, which bore the imagery of a Zoran helmet, curtained the front of the faux fin.

As Link donned the helm and tucked the sleek, black coif around his neck, a wave of nostalgia overcame him. He wondered if this very armor had been worn by a hero of whom Queen Rutela had spoken or if it had been made lest the need for a hero arose. Had the late Zora king sculpted this personally for a previous hero, or was Link the first to bear such garments in the name of Hyrule? In that moment Link began to wonder what troubles had barraged the ancient hero. Had he faced personal tragedies? Had he had doubts? How many dear friends or loved ones had he lost in the fight for Hyrule? How long had the past hero traveled the arduous journey before the land had once again been filled with peace?

Link shook away any doubt. The last hero had succeeded, for Link had grown up in a land free of malice until now. His path was an important one, one that-at its conclusion-would see the reign of a new dawn, a dawn that would pass with the death of evil. The death of angry shadows.

As he headed for the door, he could feel a shiver of excitement run up his spine from Midna's hiding place. She had been impatiently waiting for the moment they might embark to seek the last Fused Shadow. The power could help him defeat the king of twilight, she had said, but he could not dismiss the unsettling feeling that the Shadows deserved to remain locked away.

But he shut the door upon the notion. He had decided to aid Midna long ago, and through all his misgivings he would remember that. Despite everything that she had said or done in the name of her selfish wish to procure the Shadows, he could still not dismiss the way he had come to see Midna within the mines of the Gorons, and perhaps it was due to that moment that he continued-the hope that she truly was a good being, that she cared more than she seemed comfortable showing, and that she would use the power of the Fused Shadows wisely.

He hoped she had the strength to overcome the mighty allure and not fall victim to its will.

===============

Link dismounted Epona smoothly, stepping out onto the edge of a grassy cliff that fell deep into the lake far below. The crystal waters shimmered with each glint of the sun, but Link did not have the luxury to watch the display of twinkling lights.

As he stood above Lake Hylia, Link lifted the black veil of the coif over his mouth and nose, and it rested taut about his face like an extra layer skin. The air about him seemed to become unsatisfactory. He breathed in the heavy air and had trouble filling his lungs. Somehow understanding this oddity, he chose to dive at that moment. Wind flapped against his body, and he soon shot through the surface of the water. He had held his breath, but now it was time to test his theory of the Zoran armor.

He took a small breath at first, cautious, but found that air indeed filled his mouth and nostrils. He was a little unsettled at the notion of being able to breathe underwater, but the feeling was empowering. Never before had he believed he would be able to swim underwater at his leisure, set to explore whatever formations attracted his eye.

However, his purpose here was an important one, and he had no time to dawdle in fascination of his new ability. He set off for the center of the lake, his strokes paced evenly. Link neared a drop in the lake floor and peeked over the edge. The sight amazed him. In a deep hollow, the Zoran people had etched a grand temple into the stones of the giant lakebed. Columns of many lengths draped either side of the mouth of the shrine, circular patterns etched into their stonework. If the carvings held any meaning it was lost on Link's ignorance of their culture. Further pillars had been transformed in the same manner, stretching out from the temple in an oval formation. Assuming that this space had been crafted for some ceremonial nature, Link swam closer.

Once he noticed a gathering of Zora warriors, garbed fully in their majestic armor, Link hid behind a collection of rocks on a higher tier of the lake's many deep layers. Without knowing if he would be welcome in their party, Link took to the deduction that staying out of sight would be wiser for the moment. He watched on as they discussed some issue. They were arguing about something, but after a few minutes, they swam through the opening of the temple.

After taking a moment to digest the obvious distress that some of the warriors had expressed in their movements, Link pushed aside the fear of not knowing what he would face inside. He flapped his feet into motion and whirled his body out from behind the rocks.

He descended into the entrance of the temple of the lakebed with any qualms as to what may lay ahead erased. It was a road he would have to face, and at the end of his journey into the Zora temple, he would either succeed in acquiring the last Fused Shadow or….

He hauled the thought from his mind.

And yet, if he were to accomplish his goal, what would the gathering of all the fragments of such a dark power bring?

Link kept the distracting thought at the back of his mind and plunged deeper into the shrine.

===============

Inside the entrance, Link followed a tunnel that wound down- and upward until he surfaced within a circular chamber. Above, tentacles of the cavern ceiling threatened to fall upon him. He climbed out of the entrance pool. His gaze followed the smooth plane of the wall until he discovered the threshold that would lead him into the depths of the shrine.

He unmasked his lips, taking in a natural breath of air, and he stepped through the threshold and into a chamber that rose before him. He took in the spectacle of the cave as he stood upon a broken stone bridge. The walls were much akin to that of Zora's Domain, a crystalline blue gleaming under waterfalls of various heights and widths as they splashed into pools below, which trickled into crevices, disappearing to other deeper chambers. Stalactites taunted him from above and threatened his steps. Link took another step forward to decide how to cross to the other side.

Yet, as soon as he took that step, the stone beneath him creaked and slid. Its stability lost under his weight, what had remained of the bridge suddenly collapsed. Link tripped over one of the breakpoints and was sent tumbling across the rest of the bridge. He halted abruptly at the bottom of the slope of broken debris, crashing into the base of more layered, rock platforms. Link gasped at the hit, his back having taken the brunt of the fall. He soaked in the pain and released it in a breath. He pushed up from the uneven ground and leaned against the cool stones.

With a glance upward, he noticed that-like reaching Zora's Domain-all he need do was climb. The layers of rock were piled atop one another as if a secondary path-a large staircase-to the door that loomed above. Link mounted each stone as it came, quickly making his way toward the cavity.

Once Link reached the last tier, he discovered that the portal had already been partially opened, no doubt by the Zoras he had followed. Perhaps if he could pursue their trail, he would discover the possible whereabouts of the last Fused Shadow.

Link passed through the opening and could not stop his mouth from falling agape.

So many architectures he had seen in the past days and every race seemed to have their very distinct preferences as to design. He marveled at the elegant ingenuity of the water-dwelling people. He walked out onto a wide bridge, its railings crafted high and with swirling patterns. The loud beating of water assailed his ears, and a thick mist attacked his body. When he peered through the wide gaps in the stone railing, he could see a river surging under another pass beneath him. From what he could tell, the river coiled about the center room located on the other side of the bridge, and there were several other passageways that led off from that central chamber. And if it was Zora's River that frothed below, then perhaps the underwater tunnel that had led him here traveled farther up the river than Link could have determined. This shrine could have been within any part of the upriver tributaries, constructed deep within the mountains and flooded so that no other but a Zora could enter.

Yet, he would have time to admire such resourcefulness and skill later … he hoped. For now, he needed to locate the last Fused Shadow, and if this piece proved to be a part of some monster as the other two had, he needed to find it before the Zoran warriors became ensnared in its darkness.

He jerked his vision from the spectacle and headed toward the central chamber. The ornate double-doors were enough to make clear that the ceremonial shrine was located inside, but as if to emphasize to spiritual visitors, Link found the room inside a masterpiece.

To decorate the ceiling of the circular room there hung a massive chandelier made of what looked like hollowed glass, and within each piece gleamed sapphires that brightened the chamber. One large stone rested at the center of the chandelier and it seemed that the other precious gems had been organized in a precise pattern that would continually reflect its glimmer. The light was dim-unnatural to his human eyes-however, the blue stones served their purpose. Several holes in the rock dotted the ceiling in a circular pattern. If there was a reason for these niches, Link did not know.

There were three levels to the chamber, he could clearly see, for each level merely wrapped around the wall, unenclosed save for railings of the same make as the bridge from which he had just come. At the center of the room, directly beneath the chandelier, a domed structure peeked out of the surface of a pool of water. That, Link surmised, was likely the entryway into the holy place of the Zoras.

Reaching the gateway would prove more difficult. After descending the giant staircase that led to the second floor, Link stood at an open archway that spilled into the pool, and he realized that the surface of the water below, though deep, did not meet the opening of the dome. The outside of the dome and the cylindrical mass that it sat upon had been polished smooth, so he would not be able to simply climb to the opening.

It seemed Link was too late. The Zoras had most likely already descended into the shrine. Their fate unknown to him, he worked through to a solution quickly. Perhaps it had been the Zoras who had reduced the amount of water so that none following could enter, whether concerned for the irreverence a visitor would bring to the sacred place or for the wellbeing of such a visitor, Link was unsure.

Link dove into the water, masking his lips and nose. The level of the water measured roughly the height of three bodies, but how had the Zoras drained only half the water?

He surfaced and peered about the wall of the pool, sloshing through the water quickly, his eyes racing. In the next moment, his sight fell upon a fracture in the stone, and he paddled over to it. He found the fissure a few meters long, and as far as he could tell, the split was deep, crawling along a path that fed into the reaches of either the lake or a tributary.

Link smiled. All he need do was supply the crevice with enough water to allow the pool to fill while the water simultaneously flowed through the passage. Though, it would take a large amount of water, Link was sure that-being constructed below a vast water source-the temple was sure to have weak areas where the Zoras had built weirs to control the amount of water that entered the temple … or from where they would be able to completely cut off the water, as Link assumed had happened. And though he had seen nothing indicating a spillway which would lead him to such an area, it was his only idea.

All Link needed to accomplish was to locate such a device and open the flow so much as to allow him access to the central dome without flooding the entire complex-which would end in possible disastrous consequences.

His mind set, Link stroked back to where he had entered the pool and climbed the rocky wall until he could pull himself onto the second floor once more. There being many rooms, Link decided to search the top level first. It seemed more logical that a spillway would be located above.

He climbed the steps of the ornate case and searched the first floor for any indication of a waterway. There were many gaps in the balustrade; however, there were no indentations that would serve for the course of water. A little dismayed but not doubtful in his idea, Link took to exploring the door at the top of the staircase first.

Beyond the bridge outside, he entered through the next gateway to discover a network of passageways through which he cautiously traveled. His paces quickset and his eyes roaming, Link thought over his situation. If the Zoras had indeed been the ones to empty the pool, then at least one would have to stay behind to control the weir, closing the way to both itself and unwanted visitors. It was that thought alone that made Link reassess the circumstance. If he did find such a device, and a Zora guarded it, what would Link's reception be?

Though he had saved their prince, only Link and the late queen were those who knew of the deed. The Zoras still believed their prince missing and in danger. If Link even uttered the prince's name, the Zora would begin demanding all his knowledge on the matter … and likely in a most inhospitable manner.

And if Link were in the Zora's position, he would not accept only a stranger's word that the one he served was alive and recovering. Not to mention the fact that Link did not suppose any Zora would knowingly admit a foreigner to traverse their sacred grounds.

Yet, whatever the danger, he would deal with the situation as it unfolded. At the moment, he had to search … and pray he was right.

===============

Link had passed through many a corridor and swum through many connecting channels by the time he surfaced from a water pit infested by dangerous bari creatures. Their blue, bubbled heads convulsed like breathing lungs as they floated through water, crawling after their prey. Their long tentacles-it was said-had the power to electrify their quarry into paralysis. Link could see their pulsating red veins through their slimy, translucent bodies. Fortunately for Link, he had always been a skilled swimmer, having grown up next to a small lake, and he had bypassed each bari without nearing their shocking tendrils.

Wrenching himself from the winding tunnel, Link immediately thanked his senses for choosing this path first. Within the next room, a hollowed cave, he could see the fin of a Zora's head. With the fish-man facing away from the opening, Link could easily distract him. He went to pick up one of the loosened stones, but he stopped mid-action.

Had the Zora been monitoring the area, he would have heard Link surface from the water. Disregarding his initial ideas of encountering a possible guard, he cautiously stepped through the opening. He turned to the Zoran warrior to find horror. A jagged rock jutting out from the wall had pierced through his breastplates, the Zora's face left in a pose of agony with voiceless mouth agape and void eyes staring into the nether space of the world.

Link's mind had already begun racing with questions before he had noticed the Zora's blood trail reaching back into an adjoined cavern. He started tracing the path, but a low rumble greeted his ears, a menacing growl. Upon reaction, Link turned and sought out the source.

Above him, he heard a sucking and gurgling sound, as if someone were crawling through water while trying to breathe with lungs coated in slime. In the high outcroppings, a dark mass moved about. Link drew his blade, prepared to stave off his own demise.

It was then that the mass fell from its perch, aiming to land upon the newcomer. But Link leapt from beneath its shadow, crashing into the Zoran corpse. The body fell from its pike, and when it and Link landed hard upon the ground, something shot out of its hand. Curious, Link quickly found the source of the strange chain that had flown from the Zora's fingers. Detaching a rather odd device from the warrior's gauntlet, Link found the small lever that retracted the coil.

Before exploring the object further, Link avoided another attack from the amphibious creature that he now described to himself as some sort of big-lipped toad, and in the dim light he could not tell if its blubbery body was green or blue. Enormous in size, it bobbed and rocked about upon its wobbly white belly. The creature must have lived unbeknownst until now in the many large fissures that lined the temple. Though it was apparent none of these splits in the foundation had threatened flooding, foul creatures had infested the areas or perhaps had already dwelled there for some time before the Zoras had even constructed their shrine.

Yet though the toad's movements were distorted by its size, it was obvious that it was quite used to squishing its way through narrow spaces quickly. In no time to spare, the amphibian had blocked any escape for Link with its bloated mass. In a slight panic, Link's fingers twitched upon reflex.

He did not realize what had happened at first, but once a patch of dust and pebbles tumbled down on him, Link noticed he had triggered the chain of the device to shoot out again. The spiked end had lodged itself into the ceiling. Tugging on the chain, he found the connection solid, and without another moment's hesitation, he flicked the lever within the object. His body was hoisted into the air just as the toad pounced.

As Link hung at the ceiling, he heard Midna's amused and slightly annoyed voice. "How is it everything you accomplish is by some stroke of clumsy luck?"

Ignoring her comment he discovered that there were two other levers within the device. The only way he would discover their functions was to test them, and so he pressed the middlemost. Instantly the chain began spilling out, lowering him at a slow rate. Pleased, Link understood the use of the last switch, and he only pressed it when he had angled himself at a position wherefrom he would land upon the toad's backside.

He fell instantly and quickly, the claws of the head retracting and the chain coiling itself anew within its confinement. Link's saber pierced the sticky skin of the creature as he crashed onto its back.

The toad reared, trying to toss the hurt from its body, but it only succeeded in forcing the blade to slide downward through its backside. By the time Link tumbled to the ground, the sword finally loose from the amphibian's body, it had suffered a wound too severe. Its back completely sliced open, it collapsed sideways, and its fluids spilled onto the rock, a rank smell lifting into the air.

After regaining his breath, Link knelt next to the fallen Zora, sheathing his sword. He gently rolled the warrior onto his back. There was another chain device attached to his other gauntlet, and Link pulled it loose. His intention was not to desecrate the soldier but ensure that the same fate did not befall him. These accessories would provide him with additional means of protecting himself from harm.

After Link adjusted the clawed devices onto his own armored fingers, he rearranged the corpse into a more noble position. He closed his eyes in respect for the dead. He then rose and faced the blood trail.

Link followed the stains into the next room. A spiraling slope reached up, up, up through the gigantic, cylindrical chamber to a barrier far above that fenced away the surrounding water outside the temple. Yet there was sure to be a way to open the obstruction to allow for the water to be used in filling up the pool some distance now below him. But how would the water pass out of the chamber and into the central room?

That was when he found what the Zoras had likely constructed as the conduit. At one section of the wall, two identical channels-large enough for a Zora to swim through-had been built.

Link quickly ascended the coiling slope-hoping to reach the other Zoras before they suffered the same agony as their comrade. At the top he found a large lever connected to the side of the weir, decorated as if it were a stone fin. As soon as he pulled down on the mechanism, the barrier began to shift. Water spilled into the room faster than Link had anticipated, but before he could lift up on the lever to reduce the flow, the water splashed out and swept under his feet.

Captured by the current, Link fell onto his backside and sped down the way he had come. He tried grabbing the raised edge of the slope to no avail. The water coursed over the sides as well, making the stones slick. Link could only surrender to the gushing stream. He folded his arms in tightly when he came to the dual conduits. Time escaped Link and he was forced to hold his breath-unable to reach for his veil-as the water sent him coursing through one of the channels.

His body arched and swayed and turned as he rode the water through the passage. Though he bumped many times into jagged and broken bits of rock, Link refused to react to the pain, for in doing so, he would have breathed in the now deadly liquid.

At long last the channel came to its destination, the cold water falling through an open hole some distance ahead. Link only prayed that the conduit was as wide at the end as it had been at the beginning. Otherwise….

Link did not have time to think of the other possibility.

At once, he reached the hole, and his back arched as his legs were the first to fall through. When his torso passed into the space below, Link hurled out a hand to grab hold of the edge of the opening. His hand fighting the slick of the rock and the pressure of the water against him, he had only a few seconds to look down to see that he had returned to the central chamber of the temple-coming out of one of the holes to which he had not been able to place purpose before.

Link then found himself falling, spiraling through the air. Disoriented, he did not dare try to use his newly acquired devices to help him since he could not tell which direction was up.

He landed hard in the pool below, one of his feet smacking brutally against the edge of the stairwell on his way down. Fazed by the blow, his yelp died out once he was submerged in the water. Link's breath clogged, and he fought both pain and the absence of air simultaneously. Unable to adjust himself to his circumstance quickly enough, he became dizzy.

Yet just as his senses had begun to cloud, he felt a jerk at his shoulder, and in the next moment, he was sputtering.

He now clung to a wraparound edge on the inside of the dome structure, choking on air and spitting up what water he had swallowed. Looking up, he found that Midna sat upon the platform, dangling her feet into the water. A laugh escaped her. "Do you realize…? That's the second time I've had to come to your rescue. What a hero you are." He found her resulting sneer easy to ignore once the pain in his foot quaked through his leg once more.

Yet-bruised, sprained, or broken-it did not matter. He had to continue on. He could not turn back.

Link yanked himself up onto the platform with some difficulty. Halfway through the motion, he grimaced, but he quickly erased the tell-tale sign so that Midna could not see his pain. He lifted himself to his feet, leaning inside the archway of the dome. While Link adjusted to the smart in his leg, he looked into a small puddle of water etched into the floor, one that deepened farther into the ground.

Shrugging off his pain as best he could, he approached the smear of liquid and bent over it. There was no telling how far it reached into the land beneath the temple. The only way to know for certain what lay within its waters was to explore, and so-Midna trailing behind in the wake of his shade-he lowered himself into the watery pit, raising the veil over his lips and nose.


	24. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22: The Merging of Light and Shadow**

The waters within the holy place of the Zora people grew surprisingly brighter as Link swam farther into its depth. Lights much like the sapphires of the chandelier in the room above dotted the enwrapping wall in dense intervals. Eight pillars stood silently in the undisturbed water, circling the floor. This, surely, was the very center of Zoran worship. A place left undisturbed and unseen by prying strangers. But their sacred place had been besmirched by an evil so powerful … so feared by the gods themselves….

Just then, Link noticed a crimson light in the distance. He propelled himself through the water as swiftly as he could with his injury. Yet upon coming to his destination, he discovered that the scarlet gleam had in fact not been a light of Zoran manufacture. The red had been splattered onto the surface of one of the lights. Link's eyes roamed about, searching.

Not far from him, he spotted prone figures lying on the ground of the shrine. He swam over to the mass of five bodies, spread about in different positions of death, weighed down by their armor. All of their faces were wide with screams unheard, suffering that had yielded to the hand of forever nothingness.

Then he heard a sputter, and Link turned to a Zora splayed across the mutilated body of another. His helmet had been shattered, its pieces fallen to his side. The Zora-eyes narrow, life fading-gazed up at the blue clad warrior. Perhaps in the warrior's agony, he mistook Link for one of his own.

"No … turn back…. You must- A monster…."

Hazy emptiness overtook the Zora's crystal eyes, blood seeping out his mouth and floating through the water about him.

Alerted, Link immediately turned his vigilant eyes upon all corners of the shrine, yet he found nothing.

Just then, what felt like a rope coiled around his torso and he was yanked away from the Zoras. Grabbing about his waist, surges of what seemed a boiling fire rippled through his insides. Through the shocking jolt, he realized it was a sticky tentacle-resembling that of a bari-that enwrapped him. He tried to free himself from the huge tendril that attempted to sap his life, but it sent another bolt of electricity through his veins. Link staggered, the searing trembles of energy traveling through his body diminishing his ability to react, but before the jelly-like vine could send another jolt, Link managed to reach his saber and cut himself free. Once liberated, he wriggled loose of the waters surrounding his fallen opponent and searched for the source of the tentacle at what he hoped was a safe distance. His eyes followed the path along the mutilated, limp appendage, and he saw shiny sparkles dotting the wall in a muddled, oblong outline.

He started toward the shape, but when the white glints began to flex in- and outward of each other, Link's caution warned him to discontinue his approach. Instead, he quickly took refuge behind the nearest column and peered around its edge.

There, at the opposite end of the shrine, a giant maw contracted. Seven stringy tendrils, minus the injured eighth, spread outward, testing and tasting the water. Link tightened his grip upon his hilt as he watched the maw and its dangling appendages thrust out from the wall, morphing into a long body with two huge fins close behind its mouth, carrying a menacingly long tail behind. Large green barbs coated its scaly flesh. Its eel body, coated in green scales flecked with red, rustled back and forth in continuous motions, propelling it through the shrine, exploring every inch its sensitive tendrils could reach.

When the eel neared Link's position, he kicked off from the pillar with his uninjured limb toward the creature. He angled his sword quickly, for the monster had already sensed the rippling disturbance he had created. Once Link was close enough, he hacked off one of the limbs, and as the creature roared, Link swirled downward in a jerky motion and propelled himself out of the reach of the eel, snipping away another tendril along the way.

Link slunk to the floor of the shrine, silently observing as the creature reeled insanely. In its rage the eel slammed into one of the columns. The stone cracked as it bent over, and Link evaded each of the crushing pieces as they fell near him. Yet, he did not rip himself clear of the rubble, hoping that if he remained still, the monster would assume him flattened by the chaos it had caused. It also gave Link time to search its body from afar for any other possible weaknesses.

Without a slight inkling as to where the beast's heart may lie within, its eyes set at the sides of its head attracted his attention. Perhaps if he were to use their soft tissue as a niche into which he could pierce the creature's brain. Constrained by the creature's thrashing which threatened to tumble another pillar in his direction, Link took to his only scheme and dove out of the ruins before the next column collapsed into pieces where he had just been.

With the monster some distance away now, Link judged the angles from which he could assail the eel. The only area upon its head that proved the least dangerous to approach was the top right where he had hacked away its main defenses. Link propelled himself higher through the water, wincing slightly at the sharp pain that squealed in his foot. He hoped his current abuse of it would not affect its later function. He could have easily stolen himself away from the confrontation against the eel, but he could not back down. Link could only assume by previous education-from his altercations with the wild Diababa plant and the malicious entity that had once been the Goron patriarch-that this sea serpent was likely a manifestation of the Fused Shadow itself.

Defeating it would be the only way to end its wicked enchantment and obtain it.

The eel, calmed from the pain of its amputations, now circled below Link. He steadied his blade before him, positioned himself at the correct angle, and aimed his newly acquired clawed device at the beast. Adjusting for the light current that the motions of the serpent created, Link shot the claw directly at its head.

The hook landed deeply in the flesh between its eyes, and all at once Link was tossed through the water after it as the eel lurched and tossed about. Link immediately pressed the third button of the clawshot and the chain sucked itself back into its device, yanking him toward the head with dizzying momentum.

And just as Link landed between its eyes, evading the tentacles upon his entry, he thrust his sword through the confining water so forcibly that it ran through its eye until his hilt's guard met membrane. An agonizing squeal reverberated through the water, and to assure that the shriek not only meant the suffering of losing half its sight, Link unsheathed his blade from his foe's useless bubble, twisted sideways, and-

He was jerked from the eel's head by one of its tentacles.

The tentacle had wrapped around the ankle of Link's injured foot and sent a ruthless jolt of energy through him. Together, soldier and monster wailed at their hurts. The sudden pang of electricity had made Link's fingers flex, and his grip tightened so furiously about the hilt of his sword that when the shock died away, his fingers relaxed, too weak to sustain his grasp. His sword fell away, weaving gently down through the waters. In its rage, the eel passed another burst of volts through its prey, this one more powerful than the last, and when the energy died away again, Link thought all the sinews in his body might explode if he were to suffer another shock.

Sword out of reach and his energy quickly fading from the short but potent bursts from the eel, he did the only thing he could think of. As the tendril tightened around his foot, another limb coiled around his right arm, adjusting his dangling body right in front of its gaping jaws. It was then, as the tentacles repositioned him, that he passed directly over its remaining eye.

He aimed. And fired.

Like a spear, the head of his clawshot plunged into the depth of its other eye and stopped abruptly, wedged somewhere within its head. This sudden attack sent convulsions throughout the serpent, and it passed one final jolt of electricity through its tendrils, sending a wave of fire through Link's nerves, before releasing him at last. Secured to the creature by the clawshot and lacking the strength to pull himself free, Link could only ride along as the eel writhed.

Its maw flexed angrily as it screeched, and its high wails nearly shattered Link's eardrums as the water intensified the pitch. In all its wriggling, the unbearable pain had reached a deeper chord within the serpent, and within minutes of the rustling of its twitching, dying nerves, its tail coiled in upon its head. Its body floated limply, slowly and softly descending to the ground of the chamber.

Link took a moment to calm his trembling nerves, hands still quivering as he detaching his clawshot. He dismounted the beast just as its colossal body began to blacken, and he dove to retrieve his sword a few meters away. Once he slid it into his scabbard, he stared back at the giant as its flesh sucked in upon itself as if a melting rose. The darkness took over and crinkled, morphing the eel into bits of dust that, within the same instant, imploded and then burst out in all directions.

For a moment all sound had been stolen, the fragments of shadow floating all about the darkened waters as if Link were trapped in a night sky with blackened stars, but then every tiny speck flew past Link, swirling, and assembled in one distorted mass. Link swam toward it and then watched as the form reordered its pieces to become a Fused Shadow … the last of the pieces.

He grabbed the Shadow as it descended through the water and again felt the disturbing power ripple against his chest. The darkness seemed to swell within his leg, and he realized that its strange magic was indeed crushing in on his body, making his pain worse than what it had been.

He stole a last respectful look toward the fallen Zoras before he began the swim toward the surface. When his skin met the cold air of the temple and he pulled away the mask of his helm, he placed the Fused Shadow on the floor of the dome.

Midna rose from Link's silhouette and immediately stood next to his prize. It was then, when Link gazed up at her, that he realized something he had never before thought possible. There in front of him was not the last of the Fused Shadows. It was only the final piece of those lost, for upon Midna's head was her customary helmet; however, its top section-that which crowned the piece fitting smugly over her round head-was nearly identical to the Fused Shadow he had just acquired. Those rounded edges, the jagged etchings over its surface, the two protrusions that shot upward like bull's horns…. There was no mistake.

He watched as her eye glazed. "Now that I have the last of these, I can prove that Zant is not the King of Shadows as he claims to be." Her tone lowered considerably, swearing. "His power is a false one."

She looked at him then, holding her precious Shadow within her tiny arms. "I'm sorry to have dragged you all over with me, but…." Her gaze faltered for a moment, and her words were left unsaid. Link stared at her with a bewildered eye, astonished to have heard an actual apology from her lips. Midna realized her blunder all too late, and she stuttered before suggesting, "Maybe the spirit can heal your foot." She nailed a smirk to her mouth, as if to pretend the sympathy she had shown was merely the workings of his imagination. "That is, if you can walk as well as you can swim."

The all-too-familiar sneer that covered her lips had just lost some quality that it had retained in the past. Link shifted uncomfortably as he held himself half in and half out of the water. He was not completely sure why, but the falter in her attitude warmed him as much as it confused him.

He nodded then, agreeing to return to the spirit spring, and pulled himself out of the cold water, water infused of unholy death and unspoken evil.

===============

When Link surfaced in the middle of Lake Hylia, he could not have been more pleased to see the sky, the sun brushing evening colors across its length. Link swiveled about to locate the entrance to the spring and squinted against the raw power of the sinking sun's reflections. He swam for the mouth of the cavern in slow, uneasy strokes due to the cramping pain in his leg. What made the swim even more difficult was the crushing weight against his body, originating from some corner of his heart as it swelled and fluttered from his close proximity to the fully gathered Fused Shadows. It was strange how the dark artifacts somehow beckoned-demanded-not to enter the home of one who had oppressed its might so long ago. It frightened Link how it seemed to pull at him like gravity, trying so desperately to drown him there and remain its own master. He wondered if Midna felt the same pressure within her.

What if her desire to claim the Shadows was due to the hold it already had on her? How long had she worn the Shadow as her crown? She had long craved its magic, setting aside all compassion for the promise to hold them as one. Had it been the power of its darkness that had controlled her all this time? Or perhaps she was not who she claimed. Link had yet to meet this Zant, King of Shadows, of whom she had so often spoke. For a moment, he started to wonder if this king even existed, but upon remembering that the Light Spirits and his princess had mentioned Zant's cruelty, he was convinced. Yet, that still left the question of Midna's loyalty.

After all this time, was she perhaps a puppet feigning hatred for the usurper in order to claim the Fused Shadows on his behalf? Had Link been helping his enemy all this while, or was she indeed exactly what she appeared? Had her hatred driven her to madness, stabbed a whole into her heart by which the Shadows had taken her over completely?

Link could not accept that thought. Her sporadic kindness to him over the course of their journey together was evidence enough that even if the Shadows had indeed intoxicated her at times, she had not been wholly swallowed by its magicks. He had sometimes been caught within its grasp as well, so it was clear he could not judge her upon succumbing to its awesome power at times. Though, she was a strange being in herself. Perhaps she held some immunity to its affects.

Link soon surfaced from the water and limped across the threshold of the cave, diving into temporary blindness. Within moments of unguided paces, he entered the spirit's lair. The warm gleam of the rocks and reflections of the water upon their serrated surfaces still amazed Link, inspired him even. It was as if just being near the warmth he had nursed back to health soothed him, gave him purpose.

It was then-staring at the spring-that he took notice of the fact that pain no longer collided between his nerves when he stepped upon his right foot. Within the water he saw a faint ripple and realized that Lanayru had already sensed his pain and banished it. Link looked down at Midna then, who had walked alongside him into the cave. Her stare disturbed him somehow as she watched the wrinkles of the water below.

It was then that Link sensed it, too. The growing bitterness that seemed to echo from the pool.

Clearly, Lanayru had hoped the companions would have been able to find some alternative to using such a wicked device, which had been locked away by the spirits' power for good reason. Ever since Link had learned the true malevolence of the Shadows, he had second-guessed himself, but it had also become clear to him that-no matter how the spirits and he wished it-there was no other way.

Link sympathized with the spirit. Lanayru had seen the pandemonium that had erupted due to the use of the Fused Shadow in the past, but now … the spirit had helped in the retrieval of the very darkness it had been ordered to lock away for eternity.

But there was … something else.

In the next instant, a dark cloud seemed to descend upon the cave, and Link could barely catch his breath.

Link scanned the water and the surrounding hollow upon instinct, but only turned about when he heard Midna's yelp. Standing like a statue behind him was some creature much taller than he. Its body was human, dressed in darkened ceremonial garbs lined with green-much like the luminescent green that covered Midna's skin. Silver armor fell heavily about its shoulders and collar, bejeweled by a single large garnet stone at the center and a scarlet tabard with golden embroidery falling over its torso. A large, triangular helm that had the appearance of some large-eyed insect covered its head.

Eight red tassels tipped with green dangled like poisonous fingers at the end of its long sleeves. It was one of these ornately sleeved hands that held Midna's black neck. Her gaze faced the eyes of the insect as she squirmed under its blank stare.

"Zant," she spat in disgust.

At that declaration Link was finally able to place an image upon the wicked King of Shadows. His dark appearance reeked of the presence of sickly death, and his quiet breaths rasped inside his helm like the calm whisper of a ghost. Even just standing there, still and solid as stone, he radiated a patient darkness that silhouetted him as if he were the embodiment of the shadow of death itself.

Link lashed out then … but the shadow king's other arm snapped out, and a wave of dark magic knocked Link to his side.

"No!" screamed Midna, her hands clawing at Zant's fingers.

Link's sword slipped from his slick fingers, and it cascaded into the water below. He grunted, trying to get to his feet, but fell back, lying dazed from the energy just exerted against him. All his strength seemed to have been sapped away by that single blow, leaving only his mind intact as he observed what then happened within the cave.

Lanayru sprang up from the pool, descending upon Zant. Bright rays of green and white bounced across the rocks triumphantly, but with a simple flick of his wrist, Zant's magic drowned that of the spirit's, and it was cast away, its light shattered and corked by shadow.

Again, the world collapsed into twilight.

Midna heard the moans emanating from Link as he wrenched at his chest, and she understood that the violent change into the shadow world had impaled his body through every pore. His head pounded and raged within his Zoran helmet, and, as if to ease the pain, he hauled it from his head and tossed it aside. For the first time, he fought with all his strength to keep the darkness from piercing his soul. His muscles tensed as he fought, and his face reddened as his breaths came in choked grunts, clinging to his humanity for every second possible.

The imp-her color returned-writhed in Zant's grasp, desperate.

But then, in a deep place within her soul, she felt Zant's magical entity ripping at her sanctuary. By force, the magical barrier surrounding the dimension in which she had stored the Fused Shadows Link and she had collected fell to the king, and they were yanked once more into existence, hovering at Zant's side.

Rage and anxiety flooded her bones, and she struggled in vain to repossess the Shadows.

A laugh echoed within the helm of Zant, a wicked shriek. "Did you honestly mean to take an ancient and withered power like this and turn it against me? Foolish Midna." He brought the imp closer to him. "Traitor."

His voice was sticky yet higher pitched than Link had expected, but his tone seemed so silky, so sure of himself, and yet quite demanding and harsh. He had the air of a child playing a simple game while trapped in the body of an imposing deity.

"Why do you defy your king?" he breathed.

"King?" scoffed Midna. She ripped at his knuckles. "You who do nothing but abuse the magic of your tribe?" Her face coiled into rage, her tooth breaking the seam of her lips.

"You imply that my power is … our _old_ magic?" Zant shrieked an insane laugh, but then his voice suddenly became frigid, and his words were pure venom. "How dare you."

Link struggled to push himself onto one knee, looking up. "Midna…." He groaned, stretching out a hand to her.

Midna looked to Link for an instant, but in that single moment, she was tossed aside, away from the spring … and Link. She watched Zant as he approached her, his paces solid and promising the worst fate.

"This power was granted to me by my _god_!" spat Zant, his voice culminating into a wild fire of hatred for her dishonoring sneers. "It is the magic of the King of Twilight, and you _will_ respect it!" As he spoke a mass of red and black began collecting within his raised palm, consuming the energy of the dancing twilit specks about him.

But Link, though his soul had already begun the transformation into his lupine form-teeth sharpening to points-he gained the better part of control over his human body and ran at Zant full force. "No!"

Distracted by the raging Link, Zant's energy was dispelled just as the blue clad warrior reached him, sparks of red, black, and glowing green exploding into the cave.

Zant caught Link by the neck with a hand that felt like the cold grip of death itself, fingers like the skeletons of nightmares, cloaked in a sick flesh of putrid bones. Immediately, Link grasped the hand and tried to pull it from his airway. He could not breathe, and it felt as though all the air had been stolen away from the world. Until … the pain in his chest grew a hundred fold, and a scream burst from the warrior, one that defied all his pride. Vines of darkness crawled through Link's insides, clogging his breath and bringing tears to his cheeks.

The King of Twilight, satisfied, released Link.

The Hylian staggered upon his feet, trying to grapple the new pain that flushed his senses. And that was when he felt it … something sharp at his chest. He touched it, wrapped his hands about it, and finally when he looked down-eyes bulging as they began to morph-he saw the dark rock that pierced him.

A breath of air escaped him, and he fell backwards, landing hard.

"Link!" screeched Midna. She ran to him, regardless of Zant standing watch.

Her mere presence at his side seemed to keep him conscious as he struggled to wrench the black crystal free of his body. But the more he seized at its mass the more it caved into his flesh. Blood trickled from the enlarging wound, and a line of red began to smear his lips as he gurgled for breath. His strength escaped him, and his arms fell away from the mass digging deeper and deeper into him. He had a moment's reprieve, one in which he had never looked more helpless, and then the real pain began. His body arched and twisted, echoes of his horrid shrieks reverberating louder and louder as they peeled from his mouth.

"Mid-na…" he called desperately, the agony seizing him completely, hair morphing back into grey and black and white streaks. He lifted a hand, clutching her shoulder. Midna almost recoiled at his touch, for his hand was in mid-transformation, his fingers as thin as a wraith's and nails sharpening into claws. "Mid-"

His eyes clouded, darkened, and his hand slipped away, but Midna seized it. He fell into blackness when the crystal imbedded itself completely within his chest, his flesh mending itself. He was already unconscious before his mutilation was whole.

Midna stared at him, disbelieving.

No. He could not be … dead….

But then her body was jerked backward into the air, and she hovered-chained by dark magic-at Zant's side. "Foolish Midna. Do you forget? That beast is one of the light dwellers who oppressed our people." It was as if he could read her every thought-every emotion that her wet eye betrayed. "No matter how much you may desire otherwise, you will never be more than a shadow in their world." Midna's chin fell, her gaze deep with some feeling she had never before granted audience to her heart. "You cannot consort with their kind!" shrieked Zant.

"But … if we can make their world ours," hissed Zant, "light and shadow would meet at last. Our tribe would take back their realm … and sweet darkness would blot out this harsh light! And that Midna…" -the plate of armor covering his mouth suddenly sprang upward with a mechanical clang, and bluish lips, sticky with the cruel air of what had once been light, breathed in her ear- "is why I need you.

"For all our people," he promised. "Lend me your power."

Her answer was plain and simply spoken.

"Never."

She could tell that a sinister air choked him as he sighed, frustrated. "Then-" His magic cast her body high and threw her to the direct center of the spring, and the very motion of it strangled her for a moment. "-I will return you to the light world you so covet!"

Upon realizing her mortal danger, she struggled against the unseen restraints of his power, but she could not free herself. She was trapped, and when Zant forced away the twilight, Lanayru assailed her vision. The spirit, entwined by the same magical force of Zant, could not detach itself from the murderous act.

The eyes of light itself attacked Midna, coiled around every fiber of her existence, and within a harsh fraction of time, the rays marred her body and stole everything that made her what she was. Her skin boiled and an unnatural white blemished her.

Lying comatose, the only thing Link could hear was Midna's dying scream.

===============

When Link awoke to the night, he found it hard to focus on anything. A savage hunger broiled within him, and it consumed him, yet a voice within his mind questioned the strange feeling. He growled at the dim light that spread over him, yet within that mass of fading light, reality assailed him. Knowledge came back to him. With its last struggle against Zant, Lanayru had whisked him from the reach of the twilight king.

But when the luminescence faded into the darkness of night, an animalistic rage flared within Link. Lupine instincts. Natural, violent instincts. At the sound of faint breathing, he tossed his mane and peered behind him where a black and white form lay in the grass. His snout heaved in a growl, drool splashing from his teeth. His jaws flexed insanely, but just as he was about to snap his maw round the figure's leg, its head turned to him.

"Link…."

Memories swirled within his crazed head. That was his name. A name. An identity. His soul.

And he remembered how she had said his name within the spirit's cave. Desperate. Needing him-wanting him-to live. He realized that the darkness that had transformed him had been one so powerful that it had grasped his very thoughts and churned them up so wickedly, so violently…. He had to fight himself to remain conscious and in control.

"Link."

He nuzzled her.

"Princess Zelda…. Take me to-" Her injuries too severe, she fell into silence, panting, trying so frantically to stay alive.

Link wrestled her body onto his back, Midna limply holding to his fur as he raced toward the castle that stretched into the dark, raining sky. A memory blasted against him as he fought the urge to lick Midna's flesh from her bones. Telma had once nonchalantly revealed that there was a passage leading into the castle from her tavern. He galloped across the fields of Hyrule, blowing past tree and pond and brush as the harsh rains thundered down. He focused solely on his footsteps, for if he slipped into his lupine instincts for even a moment … Midna would not survive the night.

===============

Existing within the light realm in his bestial form, the monster Link had become was now on display to all the citizens that strolled about in Castle Town. Each passerby screamed and ran stumbling in the opposite direction. When Link happened upon a watchman-spear pointed at Link's nose-he distanced himself quickly from the impulse that wished the guard torn from his path. Instead, he merely growled and snapped, and when the guard cowered back, taking a few weak stabs in the beast's direction, Link shot by without altercation.

He soon leapt down the street leading to the bar, but stopped short of the door. If he entered, he would meet the same welcome. Any situation that ended in him being corned by those that should have known his face would bode ill for Midna. Pacing back and forth for one split moment, Link's eyes searched the walls of the tavern. He spotted a window on the second level and a pile of boxes that were either empty or full of merchandise, the identities of which Link had no time to waste over guessing.

He leapt atop the crates, swiftly ascending the stack until he was within reach of the open window, curtains slapping against the glass and walls, drenched in the downpour.

Link jumped, aiming perfectly and landing smoothly inside. He tossed a look at Midna, assuring himself that she was still there, struggling against the creeping darkness of nonexistence. He sped through the top floor until he found the stairs. He took the steps two at a time, but cautiously cast his sight about so as to not bump in to any unsuspecting patron.

The stairs emptied down into an area behind the counter where Telma stood chortling merrily with a portly, mustached man. Link could smell everything within the rooms of the tavern. The faint scent of honey in the mead, the dizzying sweetness of berries, the boisterous aroma of smoked ham and goat…. Link had to fight away the compulsion to dive into the savory meat, he and padded on into the storage room where even more colorful scents assailed him and drove him mad. Here, he uncovered the gateway into a tunnel. Pawing at the lock-which was just lying upon the latch-Link lifted the tiny bar, and the door cracked open. He nudged his way inside and sped down the passage that began to smell like rot and sick the farther in he went.

Familiar grounds.

He barked back at Midna, trying to tell her that they were almost there. But she could only answer with a gasp, which was growing weaker and softer by the instant. Link charged ahead, racing past every obstacle, leaping over every break, breaking down each gate.

He would not lose Midna. Not this way.

No matter the unkind words or glances they had shared, he refused to let her die. Being here made him think back to the first time he had met her, a sly little imp sneering at him. Throughout their time together he had grown to understand her more and more, but the true surprise had come when she had tried with all her strength to keep him from harm when Zant had descended upon them. Perhaps it was this thought-that very warm feeling-that made him smile inwardly the moment he came to the circular staircase of the sewer. These were the very stone steps that Midna had helped him ascend all those weeks ago.

This time he had expected the difficulty, but unlike last time … Midna's life was at stake.

He rose to the challenge, leaping across impossible gaps, bits of steps loosening underneath him and falling down the instant he removed his weight. Within a few minutes, Link had managed to clear the decaying stairs. The cracks in the stones had claimed more than a few of his claws, for when the points had gotten trapped between the cracks, he had ripped his paw loose, ignoring the pain and the tiny trickles of blood that seeped out the opened holes.

At last, he had reached the room that had so long been the princess's dungeon. He tore at the wooden bar that locked the double-doors and smashed them open when the board fell in two halves.

Link sprinted into the darkened room, rain softly pattering against the windows. He searched about but saw no one in the unlit chamber. He stared aghast into the darkness, a whimper sounding in the silence, for he had not imagined the princess might have gone absent from the chamber. It seemed impossible that Midna's only hope of salvation had just died in the silent shadows of this dungeon. Even if there were others, perhaps Renado, who could have helped, there was now no time to bring Midna to them.

He then felt a weight lift from his back, and he turned to see that Midna had fallen from him. She grunted in pain, and that was when Link saw the figure approach from the dark corner where a small desk sat. It was the woman dressed in a black mantle, and a violet luster drifted across its surface as she entered the dim light cast from the windows.

Princess Zelda crouched next to the couple and examined Midna. Link watched on, expectant of a miracle.

Midna reached a hand up to the princess, the gaze in her eye courageous, accepting even, and Link was not sure he liked the look in her eye and the tiny lift in her mouth. Her voice struggled. "Please…. How do we break the curse on this one?"

Her question flustered Link. With how she had treated him in the past he would have expected her to concern herself with her wellbeing before his. However, even in her condition-her withering life-she asked how to help _him_. It made him rethink everything he had ever thought of her. It made him truly and deeply care.

If Link could speak, he would have consoled Midna and asked why she concerned herself with something they could solve together, when she was better.

Zelda grasped her hand.

"You need this one … to save your world…" said Midna, and it was then Link understood. Midna had not asked for Zelda so that she could be saved; she had wanted to speak her last words to the princess and assure herself that she would not die in vain.

But Link could not accept that. He nudged her and a strange whine uttered from somewhere in his throat.

Yet Midna smiled at Link-with so much care-and she continued as she looked up at he who had been her companion through so much. "You must help Link."

He could not shake off the warmth he felt as she said his name.

Zelda looked to Link then and stretched out her right arm. A wave of heat flooded his body but soon receded. The princess shifted slightly. "What binds him is a different magic than what transformed him when he first passed the curtain of twilight. This is an evil power." She tightened her hold on Midna's hand. "Our world is one of balance. Just as there is light to drive away darkness, so, too, is there benevolence to banish evil. The Sacred Grove is a place that lies deep within the lands guarded by Faron, a long lost royal city turned to ruin through the ashes of time. There you will find the blade of evil's bane, crafted by the wisdom of the ancient sages. The Master Sword."

Even as she spoke, a light crept within Link, but every time he heard Midna's gasps of fading breath, his heart recoiled.

"Evil can never bear to touch it," Zelda persisted. "The evil covers you like a dark veil. That blade is the only thing that can cleave it."

Midna's breath became unsteady. "That's good. Link … you can get to the woods on your own … right?" Her voice trailed to Zelda then, unable to manage movement any longer. "Princess … I have one last request…" she gasped. "Can you tell him … where to find … the Mirror of Twilight?"

An astonished breath escaped Zelda. "Midna … I believe I understand now just who and what you are." Link, however, had no idea what she was talking about and did not really have mind to read into the subject. "And despite your mortal injuries … you act in our stead." Underneath Zelda's hood, Link thought he saw the trace of a tear line her beautiful face. "These dark times are the result of our deeds, and yet it is you who have reaped the penalty."

Link glanced down at the imp, her body sick of mismatched black and white, but Zelda demanded Link's attention with her gentle tone. Somehow, it felt as though her presence would make every terrible thing that had happened disappear. "Link, chosen hero, I, too, have been granted special powers by the goddesses." She tugged at the white glove that masked her fingers, and there upon the back of her bare hand laid the same glowing triangles-the symbol of the Triforce-that had branded Link since birth.

The princess looked down to Midna one last time. "After I am gone, Link, I wish you to use this cloak. It bears the magic of the ancient Sheikah race, and it will protect you against the twilight once you have retaken your human body."

Stunned and uncertain at what this comment truly meant, Link stared dumbfounded for a moment, but as Zelda clasped Midna's hand in both of hers-a light gleaming about the very presence of her being-it was Midna's words that awakened him to the exact knowledge of what the princess was doing.

"No!" cried Midna, but with her diminished strength, her voice was a blanket of whispers. "Link, stop her!"

But it was too late. Zelda's eyes locked into Midna's and the imp's body glinted in the brightness that the princess passed on to her. Gleaming greens outlined the familiar color of black and white upon Midna's skin, her hair tumbling about her in wild orange and red and golden waves. Zelda, however, fell backward in the moments following. Her eyes closed.

There was no sign of life within her.

Midna now stood over the princess of Hyrule, a strange emotion overturning her usual cynical nature. The glow of Zelda's skin had been reduced to a pale nothingness on the cold stones of her prison, the dungeon where she had long stood in isolated sadness … the dungeon that had finally claimed her end. Lips crumpled into a frown, Midna looked to her hands that brimmed with the comfortable warmth of life once more. Seeing her head downcast, Link rubbed his snout against her cheek. She looked up into his eyes, understanding what it was that he could not say. They could not allow the princess of Hyrule to lie in vain. Within Midna there was a new life, a restoration of her soul which had come about at the merging of Zelda's light into Midna's dark soul. She could exist as more than a shadow in Link's world now … but at what cost?

She knelt down to Zelda and removed the cloak that had once protected her from the effects of the twilight. "I have taken all that you had to give …" she whispered to Zelda's deaf ears, "though I did not want it." Link approached Midna's side, lowering his head in respect. Midna refused to leave the princess's body resting motionless on the unforgiving, hard stone. She therefore took an extra moment to lift her with her magic and lay her to rest upon the bed in the corner of the room.

Midna turned to Link, melancholy creasing her features, and for the first time, she did not shield her true emotions from her partner. She found new purpose in the surrounding gloom; though, the grief had not yet worn away when she finally spoke. "We go back, Link. Back to Faron Woods."


	25. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23: The Blade of Evil's Bane**

Midna clung tight to Link's fur as he bounded through the fields of Hyrule.

Link's mind raged. Not in the attempt to digest all that had taken place within Zelda's company, but in the effort to keep his animal nature at bay. While he had been in the presence of the princess, his mind had been clear to the events-perhaps due to the enchanting power she held. However, now that her light did not surround him in all its purity, a war raged within him. Zant's crystal had been a polluted invention of the evilest of magicks. Not only had its darkness once again taken over his physical being, but now Link knew that if he stumbled for even a moment within his disarrayed mind … he might lose his sense forever.

He growled at the inner evil trying to command him, and Midna gazed down at him. He felt her shift atop him, but he could not concentrate enough to think on how she had changed during the past few hours. His mind was too fragile, and he needed to spend all his energy on keeping it intact.

The rain pounded against his fur, and the night clouded viciously about them. Suddenly a figure rained down upon them not of the sky. A bokoblin warrior. But Link's lupine anger broke the sentry's neck in one snap of his jaws and he simply continued on.

Down through the outskirts of Faron, Link galloped, and Midna's heart leapt. All they need do was locate the Sacred Wood and Link would again be himself, his mind untainted by the dark presence of Zant's evil.

Familiar territory raced by the pair as they headed deeper into the woods. Link supposed that if the ancient ones had wanted to shield the holy grounds from the sight of the world, then the Master Sword would be buried deep within the land of giants, a place not even the dwellers of the wood oft traveled. It was said that those who entered beyond the giants of the wood never returned, swallowed by the maze that it had become.

Link and Midna would find out for themselves what had happened to those ancient explorers, for upon no map of Hyrule had there ever been marked a Sacred Grove-or anything related to a long lost holy place.

Link pushed through the swamp when he came upon it, leaping from tree branch to trunk until he landed safely upon the other side of the dark murkiness that had infested its length. A shiver sprinted through Midna. Seeing Link jump directly into the swamp and leaping to his next destination without hesitation made her think that perhaps the instincts of the animal he had become were controlling him more than he realized. Any rational human-as Midna had labeled Link-would have carefully considered their route through such a danger before embarking. Link had plowed through the obstacle without thought.

Perhaps thought was no longer possible to such an extent…. Midna thought it through, though. Link's consciousness had to have been intact, for it appeared-for the moment-he had a general idea in which direction he needed to travel. He still knew what he needed to find in order to regain his senses.

For the moment….

At last he and Midna pierced through the forest and came to the edge of the giant wood, where they had once discovered an ancient temple wherein they had found the first fragment of the Fused Shadows. Odd, how they had returned to the place where their journey together had truly begun.

Before Midna even had time to look upon their current surroundings, Link had already cantered off in the opposite direction in which she had been looking. Headed straight for the cliff side which dropped into another section of the wood below them, Midna questioned Link's sanity; however, he leapt at the last moment, directing them toward a hollow in one of the giants.

Midna wrapped her tiny arms about Link as if she were a collar, and the quake that jostled through both their bodies assured her that they had landed on something. But Link's immobility did not last for long, for within the next moment, they were again airborne for another fleeting instant of terror. It seemed, though, that-as Link's animal senses had been heighted-he could detect a path quicker and far easier than he could have ever done as a human. And-Midna had to admit-he did seem more agile and able within this state.

_I think you're getting too comfortable in that body_ … she had once said. It had seemed as much when she had said it-after he had managed to ascend the dangerous terrain of the once frozen Zoran waterfall. But now his harmony with the body of the wolf seemed complete, almost natural. Yet this time…. This time things were different. He had not chosen this state. He had thought he had been rid of ever feeling the mutation again. Midna had seen the relief in his eyes when he had flexed his human bones again some time after Lanayru had restored him. All those other times…. He had accepted his fate, she knew. He had to turn into the beast to save people … the people of his and her realm. He had known the cost. But this time….

This time it did not make her crawl with that strange feeling she had felt course through her. Sympathy, had it been? Whatever it had been it did not matter. Now she felt-angry. She wanted to destroy Zant, to make him suffer as he had done to so many under his power. She wanted to make him suffer for hurting Link.

It was that very feeling that confused her, though. How many times had she looked to him with disgust, looked to him as a tool? For so long in the beginning, she had regretted having to travel with such a beast-and by that she meant his true Hylian identity. Yet, she smiled at how he had seemed to catch her traits of skepticism and of rebellion. He had changed within the time they had spent together, but now she realized…. She had changed, too.

But the jerk of the next landing sent her thoughts flapping away with the rustling leaves he had disturbed upon his fall. She looked about and saw an archway made of bark, where two boughs of different trees had reached together and woven around the other. It was a magnificent sight, for the trees about them were again their usual height; though, they were of some mysterious species that she had never seen the like of before. Boughs twisting elegantly about themselves, and their roots jutting up and out of the ground to curl around those near. Their green leaves-shaped as majestic crowns-whistled in the gentle winds.

Midna looked around and saw that the giants were now behind them, lifting up from the canyon below, a drop-off directly behind Link's hind legs. Above, the trees sprang into a canopy, as if shielding its very existence from the outside woodland world.

"How did you find this place?" asked Midna, impressed with the wolf, yet rather worried.

No bark or growl replied. Instead, Link moved onward, totally aware of all his surroundings-but was he aware of his own mind?

Indeed, Link struggled, trying hard to concentrate as he propelled himself forward. He could feel his human conscious slipping farther away with every step he took. If he could not soon find the resting place of the Master Sword, he feared he would lose his sanity forever. But when there came a faint odor upon the air, his mind fogged, and his last effort in fighting back the thoughts of the wolf failed.

All at once Link reared, and Midna was thrown to the ground. Orange tumbled before her eyes, and she tossed back her mane to watch in horror as Link excitedly sniffed at the air, drool pouring down the hair of his chin. She could see one of his eyes at her angle, and what reached out from Link's blue socket frightened her. An insane gaze of hunger, licking at the air it smelled.

She pushed back her fear, gaining her footing on the ground of the strange forest. She approached Link. "What do you smell?" she tried, hoping that her voice would force his sense to return to him.

But his reply came in an angry growl, and though every bone within Midna screamed for her to back away … she moved closer. "Link … remember, we have to find the Master Sword." And for a moment, the eyes of the wolf seemed to flash with Link's answer, but a savage darkness regained the animal quickly, and it sped off under the archway of the trees.

"No, Link. Wait!" called Midna, racing after the wolf.

There were so many winding paths, closed in by the density of the wood, and Midna soon found herself becoming lost. It seemed that the wood was a labyrinth, narrowing in some tunnels, others ending abruptly by rows of trees. Yet there were still few pathways for any visitor to stray through; though, as Midna soon discovered, some of the roads twisted about into areas she thought looked the same as other places through which she had already passed. Feeling misplaced very quickly, Midna soon slowed her sprint into a vigilant pace, searching the paths for any sign of recent tracks.

Just as she thought she had lost herself completely within the woodland maze, she heard the trickling of rushing water. She guided herself along by her ears until she spotted, between a patch of trees, a spring which filtered lightly along two small waterways that spilled into crevices, which-Midna assumed-led down into the cavernous reaches of the giant woods surrounding this spot of mysterious land.

She did not have time to admire the simple complexities of the area. She needed to find what had happened to Link. She doubted that the confusion of this place had bothered his ability to navigate, for it was in an animal's nature to be able to sniff their way out of any dangerous circumstance. Yet-what had Link smelled on the air? Midna could detect no odor other than the scent of the rain sticking to the leaves and bark in the cold night air.

Yet then she realized that the trees shooting up around her seemed more solid, and oddly, a grey tone had infused their bark. Upon closer inspection she realized that the trees and vines that covered the forest here were actually growing against stones. She tossed her vision about and it was then she saw it. The crumbled outline of a building long left to the fate of time. Erosion had pulled away the roof and any remaining bits hung loosely, held up by the mass of the trees that had grown about the structure.

Midna entered the stone housing and discovered that plant life also flourished within its decimated walls, peeking up through cracks in the floor. She crouched over a section of the floor that glinted in a feeble yellowish color. She swept away the rubble that covered the spot to find the rough outline of three triangles-the very symbol that she had seen upon Link's hand. She looked up, and two identical statues-figures somehow untouched by time-stared back at her. They appeared ceremonial in nature, but their scathed bodies made her think that perhaps they were the guardians of this place.

The evidence was conclusive. Link had done it. He had found the Sacred Grove.

Between the statue guards, a tunnel stretched back into the rubble of the building. But then a shuffling noise distracted her from exploring her find any further. In an adjacent room, the dark colored wolf was hunched over some object. Midna entered through a broken archway, stepping over a collection of loosed stones, but when she came to Link, she was horrified.

Link crouched over long dead travelers, the smell of their clothes and hair and flesh a rank perfume. Midna nearly vomited but she composed herself within an instant. What exactly did Link think he was doing? His jaws ripped at the armor and garments covering one ancient man, the rotting flesh exposed to the cooling rain that continued to drench their bodies.

"Do you know what you're doing? Don't you dare!" reprimanded Midna, running up to him.

Link turned and, lowered on his haunches, growled insanely at her figure. Midna halted mid-step and backed away only a few paces. He had truly become deranged, she could see. But his very salvation lay within the chamber past the statues. She could feel it. "You have to come with me now. We're here for the Master Sword, you idiot!" She wanted to help Link, but she could not help the irritation from seeping into her words.

But Link ignored her presence and dug his maw into the decayed flesh. He tore at all his teeth could reach, feasting upon his dead victim with a passion that scared Midna. How would she ever….

Midna felt a cold presence assail her backside, and upon the soil and stone before her she saw a shadow, moving slowly past them in the room behind. Link turned up his nose, sticky with the fluids of the decomposed body. A bark flew wildly from his tainted breath, and he tossed his head, pushing away from the body and sprinting after the silhouette. Midna quickly followed, catching a glimpse of a skeletal shade-dressed in ancient armor-as it headed into the passage between the guardians.

She blinked several times, disbelieving, before following after Link-who had chased the ghost-like being. She only had time to glance at the broken stones that she surmised had once assembled the door to the passage, the stones making up the vague outline of a bird holding something within its talons. She race up a long trail of stairs behind Link, her small, short legs exerting themselves quickly. But once she reached the pinnacle of her climb, she found a somewhat circular room that had become a clearing within the broken stone walls and old trees. Only one item decorated the floor of the chamber.

Link stopped abruptly at the center of the clearing, his eyes tossing about the room, searching for the darkness he had followed. But as far as Midna could tell, the phantom warrior had disappeared, perhaps into the very walls. Link growled in anger and called out to the missing shade in a series of malevolent barks.

Then the item in the center of the room began to glow, a blinding glint creeping about the room, lacing it with its bright color. The energy of the shimmers burst outward and Midna guarded her eyes with an arm. She watched, her jaw agape, as the madly snarling Link was consumed by the light, its waves undulating about his body, consuming him wholly within its gigantic palm. Suddenly, Link's form darkened, contrasting sharply with that of the light, and the shadow covering him grew larger and larger until at last-in a whirl of flashing rays … darkness collapsed and fell away.

In that same moment, a figure-eyes closed-appeared in the bubble of light that had destroyed Link's dark embodiment. Brownish blonde hair fell in straight and waving curtains about the clean-shaven, youthful face. It was in that moment that Midna could see Link's true likeness, his inner soul for the beauty that it was. His head tilted back slightly, breathing in softly and exhaling lightly through parting lips.

The light circled his body, and as the rays lowered, Midna could see the reshaped body of Link, the muscles of his torso defining the edges of his blue armor. His arms were stretched out somewhat at his sides, the light twirling about them. His hands-perfectly reformed-flexed, and the luminescence finally lowered completely from his body, revealing his strong legs. When he at last opened his eyes, he lowered his head, hair falling against his cheeks. He looked to his body and hands, finding himself again.

He gazed around him, the walls of the half-fallen structure reaching as high as the heavens themselves, it seemed. Rows of trees had merged with the stones. Rain fell down upon Link through the canopy, and he stretched out his arms and tilted back his head. Once again his eyes were closed, as he breathed in the air deeply. A smile littered his face, and it bloomed into laughter.

Midna stepped up to him then, a small grin lining the features of her lips as well. "Are you okay?"

Link's response came slowly, as he opened his eyes once more; he brought in his arms, but bent one out before him, palm upturned. "I have never seen the world like this before," he said, an amazed thrill deep within his voice. "Being so close to such darkness-such a brutal evil … to exist without it once more…. Rain and light have never felt so … cleansing."

"And so has come your true test," a rough voice spoke out.

Link and Midna whirled about, searching. A shadow emerged from the remnants of the light-the shade of a long past hero. Midna gasped at the ghastly figure; Link merely shifted his weight uncomfortably. His undisturbed visage made Midna realize that this skeletal boned man had visited him before. When and how she did not understand, but she made no gesture to reveal her uncertainty.

"Your time has come, young warrior, to attest the name of Hero," the familiar, red-eyed soldier declared in its low, scratchy hum.

Link turned his attention to the object that had freed him from naked evil. The Master Sword. A hilt of pure blue, its blade was a shimmering testament that time could never dull its surface nor weaken its resolve against evil. A bright yellow diamond-shaped stone was firmly nestled into the blue guard, and an ornate symbol of the legendary Triforce had been engraved upon the smooth steel of the blade.

Link stepped up to its low pedestal and wrapped two careful fists about the green leather straps that had been laced about the hilt. Palms sweaty, Link pulled at the hilt and bursts of light shot into the room from the crack in the pedestal as the sword lifted free of its ancient home. He raised it skyward within his left hand, as if showing the gods the result of his birth-the mark in time that proved that his destiny truly did lie in saving the land of Hyrule.

"The sword accepted you as its master," gasped Midna.

"Indeed you are the Hero of this time, a hero of Hyrule's greatest legend," the shade spoke. It approached Link, standing before him and the pedestal.

"So this," Link gaze about, "is the Sacred Grove." His gaze fell to the Master Sword, taking in its beauty, how its steel glinted in even the night.

"Yes," nodded the warrior. "Within the Temple of Time, the most ancient temple in all the history of Hyrule. Home to the blade of evil's bane. It is this sword that I once held." The shadow's tone seemed to falter then, but it did not give evidence to its existence.

"May I ask how it became lost to Hyrule?" said Link tentatively. He had never really spoken to the shadow, and it made him anxious-wondering how one was supposed to interact with a spirit in conversation.

But it responded just as any living being. "Lost? No," the hissing voice replied. "Forgotten. The children of Hyrule have long lost their memory of where it lay. The legend remains within the pages of history, but there are so few who have passed down the knowledge of its existence. It is because of this that it became lost, and so the walls of this great temple fell into ruin, awaiting an age once more when the might of its treasured possession would again be needed."

"Were you once its master?" Link had wanted to ask the shade of its past life so many times before this, and now, it felt pointless to leave the question unasked.

"I understand the hardships you face," it affirmed. "In life, I accepted the duty as the hero. I fought many battles; however, the end of my journey had also been the end of my life."

Link could not keep his composure at that statement, and his lips curved into a frown, eyes widened. Fear gripped his heart. For an instant he could not breathe. He looked into the red and shadowed eyes of his mentor, and for a moment he could not speak. But finally, through a cracking voice, he inquired, "Then … is that my destiny? To die in saving Hyrule? Is that the destiny of the Hero?"

"If you allow it to be your destiny. We each have our own path; no matter how many heroes this kingdom has seen, no one path is repeated. You have to accept that in the battles to come you may fall, but it will have been your decision." The shadow's voice seemed to reverberate, piercing into Link's soul. "But if I am not mistaken, you have already accepted the possibility of such a fate. One cannot walk this path without facing their fears, facing themselves at some point. If you have not battled with yourself, you soon will. You will decide if you could die for the people of Hyrule.

"On my path, I faced my fears; I accepted my destiny, my role, in the perseverance of this kingdom. However, I found that courage was not enough. Triumph did not meet my efforts. I faltered and all of Hyrule paid the price of war." The shade fell into memories, and Link could feel the shame in its soul, radiating outward, blanketing the blank realm. "Though, these deeds are not of your past; it is from another time I come to you." The warrior brought his gaze back to meet that of his apprentice. "You must remember that if you are to falter, there are countless innocent lives that face extinction." The shade placed a skeletal hand upon Link's shoulder, its hard grip desperate. "If you falter, will you remember to pick yourself back up?"

Link had spent much time along his journey thinking on that very notion. He had been wounded numerous times along his travels, and each time he had pushed onward in spite of his pain. "I will fight for Hyrule as long as evil threatens it."

The shade took a step back, nodding-pleased with Link's reply. There was a certain quality of peace that enveloped the shadow from the past in that moment. But to shatter their silence, the shade's tone boomed, "Are you ready to finish your training?"

Link inclined his head and took a step back from the pedestal, Master Sword comfortably at his side. Midna receded into a corner of the room as the grotesque form began to circle Link.

"Now that you have taken the blade of evil's bane, a new power will immerse you," the shade said. "We will unlock this power within you, for only your harmony with the blade will allow you to truly banish evil."

Link listened and watched in silence as the warrior spoke and moved, removing his shield from its nest.

The shadow being stopped opposite him, both looking to each other from the side. "You will come across fully armored enemies who can move swiftly about the battlefield. To them, a back slice would be futile. Upon such foes you must make them flinch. Perform a shield attack to unbalance them; then, as they will be stunned only momentarily, you must be swift. Leap above them and greet them with your blade by immediately striking from behind." And before Link realized, the shade had darted toward him, knocking its round defense into his and hurdling itself overtop him.

And icy blade then hummed at his neck, resting there menacingly.

"This is the helm splitter. Show it to me." The solider backed away and prepared itself for Link's attack.

Link twirled his new blade, feeling oddly relaxed with its weight within his grasp. He sprinted toward his mentor, and though he was not expecting the shade to react-moving quickly from his reach as it had said such foes would-Link stepped into the movement relatively fast, sharply redirecting himself. He landed a shield attack against the dark figure, and in its temporary lopsided frame, Link stepped up onto the surface of its shied in order to give his jump the necessary height required to hurl himself behind it. Once Link's feet were again firmly upon the ground, he twisted his wrist about. Steel touched rotted flesh.

"Impressive," its hollow tone rang.

Link let down his offense, and again the pair faced each other, several paces between them.

"However, the ways of the sword are known to many creatures, and some have strengthened their guard against simple techniques. To any such foe," the old voice instructed, its body pacing the hallowed grounds gently, "the mortal draw will be most effective.

"Sheathe your saber." As it gave the order, it, too, cloaked its blade within the scabbard upon its spine.

The command seemed pointless, though, for if Link was to learn this ancient warrior's skills they would need to use their weapons. However, Link remained respectful and silent, ever vigilant of any step that could conclude in an offensive strike.

"You will need to cast aside your most basic sword skills. For this technique to be successful," it spoke, approaching Link, "you must wait until your foe is directly upon you." It stood over the youth, the scarlet within its eye flashing wildly. "Then, before the enemy can see through your ruse-and when they leave their flank open upon their own attack-you must quickly draw your blade."

Within a blink the dark form had whirled its saber free, blade once again at Link's throat. "There can be no defense for this," the aged voice said in a malevolent octave. "The mortal draw deals only death."

The deceased-though not lifeless-body backed away, blade at its side. "Now, prove to me that you are capable of this lost art. Ready yourself!"

Link readied his left hand for quick action, his arm lying tensely upon the air.

Then the phantom came at Link, swiftly at first, dancing from side to side. Its pace slowed, however, and it came closer to Link. Until, finally, Link could smell its rank odor, and a shadow passed over his face. The glint of the blade flashed within his eyes, and just at the pinnacle of the shade's assault … Link's hand flew to his hilt and brought its full weight hurtling through the air. Just at the last moment, Link pulled his attack, the blade landing a hair's breadth from the soldier's wicked face and neck. The shade's sword had only come within a foot of Link's shoulder.

"A pointed strike!" his mentor raved, its voice sounding hoarse at such a tone. But the tone once again lowered at its next. "But do not forget. This attack leaves your life at risk. I advise the utmost caution whenever you should so choose to implement it." The soldier straightened its stature as Link withdrew his weapon from its threatening angle.

"Now, as I said before, the Master Sword you now wield holds a great power, one that you as its new master must be able to control and call upon when needed. Its strength courses within you. Wrap your mind around its entity."

As his instructor implied, Link closed his eyes, searching for the power that surged within him. After moments of silent meditation, searching every crevice within his mind and soul … a warm light enveloped him, stole him into a whirlwind of color and luminescence. Link gasped as the heat of its energy seemed to shroud his body completely. And as he opened his eyes, he saw that the Master Sword hummed with a faint glow. Link, surprised and a little unsettled at how accessible such power was, looked to his teacher.

But the shade only seemed to shine with pride, its darkness seemingly lessened in that moment. "Very good." Its face reflected in the beaming sword, the shade gazed upon it as if remembering what such power had once felt like. But it soon shed its eyes from the blade, "The energy of the blade can be used upon any number of foes around you, if you concentrate its power properly. Whether a simple stroke or a jump strike, the surge of its power will stun or kill your enemies. Now, I wish you to learn how to channel that power.

"If multiple foes were upon you-" it said, its outline becoming hazed, the silhouette of its body difficult to distinguish. Its defining lines severed, and within an instant, two identical shadow forms emerged on either side of the phantom. Thrice upon Link the shade circled, its voice echoing among the trio of moving teeth. "-you would need to channel your power evenly across the field. Attempt to control the power before I strike."

A little daunted at the image of his mentor threefold, Link hunched his shoulders slightly, coming down into a lower stance. He leveled his blade horizontally within his opposite, upturned palm. Focusing hard, Link delved within the fissure of his soul that now stored the legendary energy of the blade, but before he could spread its warmth throughout his extremities, a chill gripped his nape.

"Come now, young hero," the shade at his back said. "Always bear the power at the forefront of your mind, ready for any possible attack. Never let it dwindle from your soul's fingers."

Marking the instruction Link retained the power he had built up within him and prepared for his mentor's next assault. This time, however, the three figures receded into the recesses of the shadows within the chamber. "Be ready for attack at any moment!" its voice bellowed from the walls.

Link held his hilt tightly, though, hung it loosely at his side. Straightening himself slightly he turned about the room, eyes constantly swiveling as he placed his steps carefully. He could feel every raindrop upon his armor, clanking in harmony with a rumble of thunder that echoed against the deep cavern of the giant forest surrounding the grove.

In her corner of the room, Midna could see the outline of one of the figures within a shadow behind Link, but she did not call out a warning to him. This was his battle to win. Time had already made Link a man, his boyhood having shed itself from his eyes completely. There was not a time when Midna could remember hearing him honestly laugh-until the power of the Master Sword had broken him free of darkness. And so, time would also make Link a hero, the one this shade had spoken of.

Link stopped at the sound of shuffling footsteps. He turned about on his heel, but to a sincere shadow, not an incantation of the warrior. However…. Link swiped his blade overtop his head, turning as he did so, and the wave of crimson energy he released sailed directly into one of the dark soldiers. Immediately afterward, another aggressor flew in at his right flank, but Link gave a twirl of his blade, and another shot of faint red light ejected from its body, crushing into the second form. In that moment the actions seemed too simple, the power too easy to control-as if it were now an extension of his body.

Thus, when Link heard a creak of the grass near to his left-the sound picked up by the lingering presence of his lupine counterpart-he merely jerked his blade back in and redirected it in its opposite path, the edge landing smoothly against the old hero's shield. Barely sweating, Link gazed up into its dead eyes, and for a moment … he wished the shade was something more.

He had never known his parents and had often wondered what had become of them. And in that instant wherein Link and the shade's eyes met, Link's desire for the parental love he had never felt increased to heights of the skies. Whenever he had crossed paths with this stranger from the netherworld, he had always felt such a strong connection to it. Not only did he cherish their blade training together, but Link had come to look to the shade as that missing link which seemed to fill the void within his heart … for at least a little while. Each time they parted, it was as if Link felt himself ripped apart once more-just as his heart had been torn when he had discovered as a young boy that Rusl and Uli were not his parents.

He had never been the same carefree soul since then….

"Excellent!" the solider praised.

Link sheathed the Master Sword.

"You house the spirit of the true hero," it beamed. "You, who now gaze to the future with vision unclouded." Its pitch then lowered, uttering words in an almost shamed tune. "I was never able to pass on the lessons of my life to those who came after me. You have eased my regrets, young Link."

Link felt the presence of another goodbye, and he started to take a step forward, but he hesitated, the brightening red within the old spirit's eye sparkling. Link understood. The spirit had lived on after death for one purpose, a purpose that served not only the new hero but also-Link presumed-the wishes of the goddesses.

"Believe in your strength. Continue to push forward unflinchingly, and without straying from your path. For surely you can restore Hyrule to its stature of yore as the chosen land of the goddesses."

Link tensed at the words.

"Go, my child," the shade commanded as it backed away. "And if you falter … do not forget to cleave yourself from the ground."

And again, the paternal figure departed … for what Link feared would be the last time.


	26. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24: Banishments**

Midna watched solemnly as the shade faded into the very shadows of the damp night. A clap of thunder shrieked above them; though, its booming voice did not seem to shake Link from his void stare, eyes that seemed suddenly hollow. It was an odd contrast to see his face so lifeless when there was a new surge of power within him. She approached Link then and something sharp stabbed at her foot. Rubbing away the pain, she craned her head forward. An ominous shard of rock rested there, near the base of the pedestal. Realizing, she picked it up and continued on her way to Link.

"Are you all right?" she asked, the rain beginning to lessen its brutality as it lashed against their bodies.

Link did not respond. Instead, his face became rather pale-even in the dark light. More concerned than curious, Midna raised a hand as if to draw his attention down to her eyelevel. However, in that moment, Link buckled to the opposite side, a line of vomit shooting from his lips. He sunk to his knees, clutching his stomach. As he rocked himself, Midna placed her hand on his forehead.

"I'm not feeling that great," Link mumbled through cringing lips.

"You're not kidding." Midna could not help the tone of sarcasm that drenched her words. "Must have been all that exercise after a bad meal."

He fired a look toward her, questioning.

But if he did not remember that as a wolf he had desecrated the long dead bodies of travelers by feasting on them … it was best not to remind him of the act.

"Never mind," snapped Midna.

"We should get going," said Link in between pauses wherein he gagged on his breath.

"No. We should wait until you can actually stand up," she retorted.

This made Link laugh-though it was quickly drowned by a wince. He managed to explain himself through short breaths. "And yet, when I wanted to rest the night in Kakariko … you were the one that wanted to get going."

Remembering their exchanges on that night flustered Midna, but she did not wish for Link to know that she actually regretted trying to push him. Had he not rested, an injured leg might not have been the only wound with which he would have left the temple of the Zoras. But she adjusted her features so as not to betray her emotions. "You know what this is?" she asked as she held up the dark object she had stumbled over.

Link turned his head only slightly, and the sight of the crystal nearly made his stomach heave again. Its lustrous red patterns made his heart leap in pain, as if his skin remembered the way it had so forcefully entered his body.

"It is the embodiment of the evil magic that Zant cast on you. It's definitely different from our tribe's shadow magic…." she noted, looking over it. "This thing … perhaps we should just leave it here, huh? Although" —Link could see her mind working— "if we kept it, you would be able to turn into the beast whenever you chose."

"And why would I _want_ to?" Link asked.

If Midna had been upset at how he so loathed his twilight body, her countenance made no mention of the emotion. She hummed, her tooth smiling at him. "Zant was kind enough to give it to us; perhaps there will be a time when such a beast will be useful against him…."

Stomach gurgling, Link retched again; though, it was only an ill breath that reached his mouth. After his breathing was under control again, he looked to Midna once more, "So … this Mirror of Twilight…." His bones had begun to shake, set on by both his sickness and the light rain. "What is it exactly?"

"It is a portal to the Twilight Realm," said Midna, and as if on cue, a thunderclap sounded in the distance, silhouetting her words against a backdrop of obscurity. Something made Link cringe at the existence of such a device … such a realm.

"Twilight Realm?"

"It is the kingdom that the king of shadows rules. The Mirror of Twilight is out last potential link to Zant!" She turned away from Link slightly, only part of her face distinguishable. "The Mirror is hidden somewhere in Hyrule." She paused, taking a breath of moist air. "Link? I have to find the Mirror … to stop Zant." She turned her one eye upon her companion. "Will you come with me?"

The faint hint of a grin stretched across his face. She really had changed. Perhaps her near-death experience had opened her eyes to the fact that there were more lives involved in Zant's tyrannical path than those in her own interests. She had come to realize that sacrifices were necessary, that they were all suffering at the hands of Zant. It mattered to her now.

Link stretched out a hand to her. "Midna, wherever it is you go, I will follow."

It was then that Link could see the first honest smile that adorned her lips. Her single red and yellow eye did not quite irritate him as it had when they had first met, when that same eye had looked upon him with disgust. Not only did they have the same goal, but now … it seemed that they shared much more. In some mysterious way they had grown to depend on each other, perhaps even to the point of liking one another. And though it was true that Midna could still aggravate him, he had to admit that he could not imagine trading their journey together for even another hour being in an ignorant bliss to the crisis that plagued Hyrule.

"Are you feeling any better?" she asked.

Link had shifted his body from pressing down on his legs, his hands now outstretched on the ground, steadying his breath in combating the raging of his innards. He nodded. "Well enough to start moving."

"Are you sure?" shot Midna.

"Yes," he laughed.

Unsettled at the new sociability that existed between them, Midna reverted to her old mannerisms as if to make herself feel more comfortable. "Just don't expect me to drag you along if you happen to faint."

"I've never had to ask it of you," said Link, standing.

She did not quite know what he had meant by that remark, and she was not sure she wanted to know. Link hummed a short chuckle. It had taken compassion and bravery to save him twice from drowning, yet he imagined that she had not really realized what such a reflex had really meant.

Trying to push their conversation into the past, Midna changed the subject, offering out a dark bundle to him as the shadow crystal disappeared from her palm, entering the dimension of her strange magicks. "Princess Zelda wanted you to have this, remember?"

Link took the item and shook it out, its black surface cascading in gentle ruffles. The back of Zelda's mantle bore the embellishments of the Sheikah symbols-a race that was said to be long extinct. Link had heard tell of stories of their people from Rusl during his boyhood. An ancient race of astonishing magicks; the protectors of the royal court. He could vaguely remember what had taken place in Zelda's dungeon. She had sacrificed herself in order for Midna and him to continue on … for them to finish the fight against the evil upon her kingdom.

He would not allow that sacrifice to have been suffered in vain.

Link threw the cloak back, wrapping it about his shoulders and clasping it together with the silver eagle broach. He steadied his breath before turning from the chamber of legend. He sifted through his thoughts, trying to place his finger on the best course of action to follow. The Mirror of Twilight was located somewhere within Hyrule, yet the kingdom was vast. They could not begin by blindly searching. They needed a starting point, a vague idea of where to look. And that … was the kind of intelligence he supposed the Group that Telma had mentioned could offer.

However, first things first. He needed to change out of the Zora garb.

And he needed to see how Ilia and Ralis were holding up.

===============

The road back through the forest had taken them the night and another full day, for Link had not been able to remember his steps in arriving at the Sacred Grove, and now that he was human once more, he no longer had claws to catch any missteps. By the time they reached the outskirts of the Faron province, daylight had begun to peek through the dispersing storm clouds. Link peered about the trunk of a rather old tree, signaling Midna to remain back. He was still trying to get used to seeing her alongside him since she had for so long traveled within his shadow.

Sentries had grown thicker across the fields, and in the distance Link saw the faint outline of some sort of barrier clouding over the castle of Hyrule. Midna looked on from behind him, also spotting the yellow twilight magic. Her lips pursed, eye narrowing. Zant had separated the heart of Hyrule from its people. Link wondered what measures the citizens of Castle Town had taken against such a frightening sight.

Yet now was not the time. Castle Town was far out of reach. He and Midna needed to reach Kakariko … and wished to do so as quietly as possible.

Link signaled for Midna to follow, and he led the way across the field, ducking behind trees, crouching under sections of brush that densely littered the southern field. They had reached the edge of a shallow pond without being spotted by the patrols. Link's throat begged him for a drink, but he knew better. He would not give away their location to the surrounding guards by making ripples in a pond.

Midna's voice startled him then, as she whispered, "Link, look at your face."

Not sure how to respond to such a ridiculous notion-for why did his appearance matter at the moment-he nonetheless chanced a peek into the water. The reflection of his features seemed distorted. Perhaps Midna had not realized the faint outline until now since only now had they emerged from shadowed woodland. There, upon his forehead, was some strange marking, of a diamond-like shape, a dot within its center. There were also curving lines that spread out from underneath the geometric figure. "Wha…?" muttered Link as he scratched at it.

"It's always been there," murmured Midna, and he turned to her. "Every time you've turned into that beast. But…."

Link did not need her to finish her thoughts to know that this was unnatural. Immediately, he picked at the earth, grabbing a handful of dirt. He smudged it across his entire face.

"What are you-?"

Link's reply was immediate. "Once we reached Kakariko and they saw…." Link paused, rethinking his intent. "If they knew what I have become do you think they would be reassured or even more frightened?"

Midna fell into silence, and Link soiled his face with one more fistful.

They soon regained their pace-Link having to focus on the path more intensely to stay the new unpleasing thoughts as to his appearance. As they reached the main pass into the mountains, Link and Midna quickly moved out of sight into a bundle of shrubbery to the left. Two spear-bearing bokoblin guards patrolled the way, and there was no way to bypass them.

Cursing, Link looked about. The only witnesses to their deaths would be one other guard. Irritated that he would have to reveal himself to the sentries, he nonetheless drew his blade and raced from his concealment.

He was upon the two patrols before they even realized he had launched himself out of the plants. He swept upon them like a storm of rain, extinguishing them quickly and mercilessly. It was then that the third bokoblin noticed Link and charged. Link knelt and whipped out the dagger clipped to a dead guard's belt. The bokoblin was already at him-its spear at Link's ear-when he turned about, but he merely shoved the dagger up into its chest, Link's stare void of any emotion whatsoever-as if killing had become an afterthought to his existence.

Link watched wordlessly as the sword dropped from his opponent's hands. The body slipped away from the dagger and pounded hard into the moist earth, leaving Link's blade cloaked in blood.

"You should keep that, you know," said Midna as she stepped up to Link. "Never know when a second blade could come in handy."

Link cocked his head. True enough.

He bent down to the dead body and stripped it off its sheathed dagger as well. "Or a third." Link bent around to detach the other's empty case, and snapped both of the new accessories to the back of his belt.

They moved on through the pass then, watching the rocks on either side of them very closely, vigilant of anything that seemed to shift. After about a half mile trek, they spilled out into the familiar canyon, but they soon slithered behind a boulder. Two bokoblin patrols were moving up ahead. Link presumed that the employer of these mercenaries had grown interested in the goings on in the mountains, for Link had already slaughtered many of their kind without leaving any real trace of his involvement; however, now Zant knew Link, knew his great concern for the people of Hyrule … and those of this village.

If anything had happened to them….

Link drew his bow upon them then, retrieving two arrows. He nocked the first, aimed high, and released. By the time the arrow hit its mark, lodging into one's head, Link had already took aim of the second-gauging where its confusion would take it-and sent the next shaft soaring. The living guard had time to turn around and take one step before it, too, became a heap upon the ground.

Link waited a moment, though, determining if there were others, hidden among the rocks. Seeing none, he sprinted straight for the connecting bridge, making all haste into Kakariko.

===============

The town seemed quiet as he stepped into the thoroughfare. He headed directly for Renado's house, taking cautious steps. He decided against rapping on the door; instead, he hung to the side of the house and peeked inside from the side of a dusty window.

Colin and Luda were in the foyer at the bar, preparing food and washing a variety of cloths. There seemed to be no sign of disturbance.

Link marched around to the front of the house then and pulled out on the knob, peering through only a crack. Again, nothing to signify signs of struggle. Though not entirely satisfied, Link opened the door fully, and the screech of its hinges brought him to Luda and Colin's attention, Midna having sunk into shadow out of sight.

"Link!" the boy yipped. Immediately, he excused himself from his chore and ran to greet Link. Neither his soiled appearance nor the few streaks of blood splatters across his cheeks alarmed Colin. His admiration and confidence of Link seemed to block them from view. It was then that Renado leaned over the balcony above, and soon after, he descended the stairs.

"We did not think to be expecting you again for some time," said Renado.

"I'm not staying long," replied Link. "I only came for some of my things. How are Ilia and the prince?"

As Renado spoke he led Link to a table, and they sat opposite one another. "Ralis stills rests but he does well. Ilia's memories are still lost to her; however, she is beginning to realize that the children seem familiar to her."

Link nodded. The memory of the sentries came back to him. "There have been many guards patrolling the area. I think you should take refuge deeper within the mountains."

"No," replied the shaman. "Barnes agreed to be on the lookout in the northern tower. He is usually not so eager to accept such duties, but I suppose the threat of death adjusted his view on the situation. Whenever they come near, he signals us, and we all head to the cellar in the sanctuary." Renado chortled. "Although, it is then my turn for the watch."

Link tried to stifle a giggle, but he choked at the attempt, which in turn caused a laugh to explode from Colin.

Luda then approached Link, cloth in hand and touched it to his cheek. On instinct, the feral beast within Link slapped away her touch, his glee suddenly wiped away. Luda gasped at the red mark on her hand, and Renado and Colin now wore stupefied expressions, as if Link had struck them instead. "I-I'm sorry, Luda," Link tried, reaching out a hand to console her, but he stopped midway. Colin could not understand what had caused Link to harm her, but Renado gazed upon Link with a more severe eye, trying to decode the menacing sparkle that had appeared within Link's eyes in that fleeting moment. "I didn't mean to," said Link, not allowing himself to touch her again.

"It's all right," she said softly.

But the shaman was not satisfied. "You do need to wash."

"No," barked Link, and again he found his heart thumping fast. Link slouched then, looking away from them. "I mean, there's no point."

"I see." Renado turned to Luda and Colin. "Why don't you take the others their food?"

The two complied, Luda trying to dismiss her smarting hand and Colin turning confused glances to Link every other step. When the children had retreated upstairs with the meals, Renado immediately faced Link once more, who stared back at him. "I really did not mean-"

"What are you hiding?"

The question was so abrupt that Link could not process its meaning at first, but the very fact that he paused proved to Renado that there was indeed something amiss. Once Link grasped his sense again, he knew that it would do no good to combat the issue. Renado would know he was lying. He wanted to tell the shaman. Maybe he would understand, or at least, keep the secret from the others, but Link could not bring himself to submit to such questioning. It was as he had told Midna. His state would not bolster their hopes. They would see him as a monster, for already he had frightened Luda and Colin. Perhaps locking them away-keeping them from getting too close to him-would protect them.

At that, Link stood. "I haven't slept well since before all this started. I'm only tired. I didn't mean anything." It was all true enough. "I'm truly sorry I hurt your daughter."

"Indeed, I believe you are, but…." It was clear that Renado had not been convinced. Link always had trouble in shielding his true self from this man. "I don't know what it is you're keeping from me-from us-but … I urge caution."

Renado stood alongside Link then, the youth staring back at him wearily. "What do you mean?"

"Sometimes the very things we try to keep from others are those things that we do not wish to accept. Secrets have destroyed lives. I pray that you do not allow it to extinguish your own."

So much was true in this. Link had learned to accept the fate of his identity some time ago; however, his mind still wished to disregard that anything abnormal had ever happened to him. He recognized Midna's feelings as they splintered up from his shadow. When she was a part of his dark half, he could feel her strongest emotions, and this one felt like a feared agreement. It was the acknowledgement he needed … to know that she felt the same way about his condition. Her transferred thoughts did nothing to ease his own alarm at the situation.

But he would not offer either of them his thoughts. His state of horror-though the spirits called it divine-would do more harm to him if he allowed it to infest his mind. The shadow crystal…. The very incarnation of his terror. He silently swore that he would never use it. If an obstacle stood before him, he would face it with the eyes with which he had been born. The transformations back into his human self had progressively become worse, so much so that when the Master Sword had cleansed him, the light of even the night had seemed so much brighter. He never wished to feel darkness so tight within his soul again. Even if he faced death itself … he would stand before it without the aid of his more agile lupine limbs. If he died … he would exit life as he had entered.

"I need to change," was all that Link could say, his voice choked by something he never wished to name.

"Your belongings have not been moved," said Renado. Was it disappointment with which he laced his words? The emotion was so subtle, Link barely recognized it. But, for the time being, the shaman would have to remain in such an attitude. Link could not express the matter to him, for he had never truly been one for words. He was a man of action, speaking only when necessary.

Link turned from the shaman, trying his best to hide the deep sadness within him … a despair that he had long tried so hard to ignore. But it was as if Renado's stare had torn a well into his heart and everything came tumbling out.

===============

Once he had dressed into his green garb, Link stared out the window of his temporary quarters. He wanted solitude, some peace of mind. With Midna it was hard to concentrate. Could she feel him the way he felt her as she lingered within his shadow?

He decided he did not care. He needed to repair the gaping whole within him before he continued on. Distracted thoughts would reduce his ability to react to dangerous situations.

_Why does this beast attack me, make me hurt the ones I care about? I thought it was supposed be a good thing that I was able to be the beast_, thought Link. _Divine…._

No. It was a curse as far as he was concerned.

But now was not the time to think about what had become of his life. He had to lock all the bad away; he had to focus on his journey. It no longer mattered what had become of him along the way, only that his travels could not end until the source of the dark terror was destroyed. When everything was settled, when it was all over … then he would have time to think.

_But will I…?_ The words of the shade returned to him, and they impaled his heart. …_the end of my journey had also been the end of my life._ The weight of those words increased a hundred fold. It seemed so real now. The possibility of death. _If you have not battled with yourself, you soon will._ How could Link have known, though, that his battle would have come so soon? Could he fight it now? Would he have to constantly keep the darkness at bay throughout his journey?

_If you falter, will you remember to pick yourself back up?_

Link had made the promise, vowed upon his own life that he would protect Hyrule, that he would save the kingdom from the surging evil that still shrouded them all. True enough that the twilight had been beaten away, but … fear still plagued every person, every race. Though none knew Link's name, his face, or that it had been by his selfless deeds that the spirits were able to answer their prayers … he would move on. He had to. For the princess, for her people … for the only ones he had ever known as family.

_I will fight … for Hyrule, for peace … to keep the torch of hope burning and bright. _

===============

When Link returned to the foyer, he stopped in the doorway. Ilia stood with Luda at the bar, washing the gathered dishes. He wanted to leave having said no more of the issue; however, the sight of Luda caused Link to grow more pensive. If he did not try again to excuse his action, would he have a second chance? Once he and Midna found this Mirror of Twilight, there would be no turning back, no second thoughts.

Soft footsteps made Luda look up nonchalantly, but when she noticed Link, she quickly returned to drying the plate in her hands.

"Luda?"

He waited for her to look at him, her response slow, as she finally decided that the plate had been cleansed. She turned her eyes up to him, unsure, and her uncertainty dimmed her eyes.

"I want to apologize for what I did." He held out an upturned palm. Understanding, she grasped his hand … though, cautiously. But Link merely cupped his opposite hand overtop hers, nodding slightly. "It will never happen again."

The shuffle of feet awakened Link to Renado, Colin, Talo, and Malo as they came down the stairs, but they all halted at the middlemost steps. It was obvious by the last two's faces that Colin had relayed what had happened. It had even been apparent in Ilia's hollow stare. Nonetheless, the tension between him and Luda no longer existed. Her thin smile acknowledged her forgiveness. Link glanced toward the shaman, and his small nod reassured him. Link patted Luda's hand, and with a half-smile, he turned away from her. "I'm off then."

Yet, it was then that Link heard the shaman gasp. Link turned toward him-he and the children having come to into the room. Renado looked behind Link. The youth followed his gaze to the empty wall. Confused, he looked again to Renado, who now stood several paces closer. "That sword," Renado breathed.

Link hesitated at first, seeing the insecure faces of the children, but perhaps it was due to their apprehensive looks that prodded him into drawing the blade which laid against his cloak. The sword was a symbol of hope. Its glimmering surface seemed to hum.

"You … carry the blade of the hero." Renado looked into his eyes, and their fierce blue sparkled, shimmering against the glint of the blade. "You are a Hero."

Malo and Talo ran in front of Renado, marveling at the shining steel. Colin came slowly toward the scene, standing at Renado's side.

"I have a destiny … like any other," Link replied. He did not think he could come to call himself Hero. He was a man, a mortal who had been gifted the ability, the courage, to do great things. He sheathed the Master Sword. "My journey is not yet over. You may not see me for some time." He gazed across the many faces. Young Talo and Malo, who had always been such a handful; Colin, who had always seemed like a younger brother; Renado and Luda, who had come to mean so much to him.

Ilia … who, if events had unfolded differently….

Link cast away the hurtful thought. By the time she remembered what she had meant to him … how she had shared so many moments with him…. His eyes fogged, and he slapped back a tear. He nodded to the group, his sight lingering upon Colin and Ilia.

Colin had changed much from the timid boy he had once been. Had the events of late not been set into motion, he wondered if he would have still been that innocent little boy, or if he was meant to have grown up so quickly.

And Ilia. Though her wounds were healing, a healthier yellow staining through the once blackened areas of her face, the sting of her torment was still as fresh as the day she had been abducted.

Link grabbed for the door. "Goodbye."

===============

Link and Midna made haste back through the southern and western fields of Hyrule, avoiding the gazes of the many patrols. It was obvious that Zant did not want to give the peoples of Hyrule any hope of banning together against him. Their dispersed efforts would do little against his might. However, Link did not want the citizens to interfere, for the king of shadows was much too powerful for any individual to battle. He knew magicks far beyond imagination.

_…This power is granted to me by my_ god!

What unholy creature could have given Zant such power?

As the gleam of the sun began its descent below the horizon, Link crossed the Great Bridge of Hylia, discovering that Epona had not vanished from the area. During his time away, she had sought shelter under the thick canopy of a dense grove of trees. He whistled her favorite melody, and she greeted him at the end of the bridge, tossing her mane gleefully. "Shh, girl," soothed Link, brushing his fingers through her hair. "Sorry to leave you like that."

He hopped into her saddle, looking down to Midna. "Let's go." Nodding, she pushed off from the ground, and flew into the saddle, sitting in front of him. She latched onto the saddle just as Link tapped on the horse's reins, and they flew on toward the castle.

Though Midna had straddled many creatures, she had never ridden a beast such as Epona upon a saddle. She felt awkward astride the animal; however, using its speed would allow Link and her to arrive at their destination much sooner. She then gazed across the surface of the barrier that shielded the castle from the town. Its orange flicker not only angered her, but an emotion of grief welled inside her as well. Perhaps it was the life-force of Zelda sustained within her that silently wept.

Whatever the cause for her desire, she would see it erased from the history of this land. She would crush it.

By the time sundown arrived, Link and Midna had arrived at the bridge into Castle Town. Epona slowed to a steady trot, and they entered the town through the gate. Hylian soldiers were there to greet them on the other side, and at the sight of them, Midna tucked herself neatly into Link's shadow.

"You there, get down!" a soldier ordered.

As ordered, Link dismounted Epona. "Is there a problem, sir?"

"Captain's orders. Checking everyone who comes and goes." The gate guard then busied himself by with looking over Epona's bundles. "As you can see, there's been some frightful stuff going on, with the castle and all."

A second soldier approached him, "Discard any weapons."

"Is this really necessary?" asked Link, reluctant in parting with any of his defenses.

"Why you ask? Hiding something under that cloak, are we?"

Midna mentally poked him. "Maybe you shouldn't cause a scene. People are starting to stare."

But if Hyrule was attacked while he was there….

Without another solution to this predicament, Link gave in to the guards. They were taking precautions, just as he would have done if any armed warrior entered his home. Yet, as he flipped a side of his cloak over a shoulder to grab at the clasp of his scabbard more easily, a young woman shrieked. Link turned immediately to the sound, feet placed firmly and poised to fight off any assailant. He realized then the woman had not been in any danger. Instead, she wore a curious smile. She, dressed in blue as if to match the color of her hair, beamed at him.

"Excuse me," she giggled. "Are you … are you the one they're talking about? The one who saved that Zora child?"

"I-"

"Oh, you are!" She giggled, hair bouncing.

A man, rotund and carrying a heavy bundle, approached Link. "So, this is the man who saved that kid. You seem a little young, though."

Unsure how to respond to this attention, Link remained silent as a few more citizens gathered about the scene. The guards, anxious around the crowd, had stopped searching.

"Castle Town has changed," said a middle-aged woman with her son. "The soldiers and the citizens are all uneasy. And on top of that, this strange wall has fallen over the castle and we don't know what's become of Princess Zelda. But what they say you've done … it's brought hope back to us."

Startled at the townspeople's new interest in him-and their strange knowledge of his deeds-Link could not think of a thing to say.

"Hey you!" the portly man yelled toward the guards. "Are you really going to disarm the one person who protects us? You've done nothing about all this until the castle was sealed off!"

Link warily observed the crowd. A series of agreeing yelps erupted throughout the thickening swarm. If the Hylian guards did not allow him to pass, he knew there would be a ruckus. He looked to the soldiers, expectant of their response to the public demand.

"Yes, go on then, sir," the guard beside him replied.

Nodding his thanks, Link pulled his cloak down over his shoulder again and took hold of Epona's reins, towing her into the nearby stable. The guards quickly turned back to the gate, ignoring the taunts of the people behind them. The woman and her son were the only ones who followed Link-all else dispersing once more to their individual tasks, spreading the newest gossip.

"Sir?" Link heard as he nestled Epona into a stall. He glanced toward them to acknowledge the boy, but returned to his task as he listened, grabbing a bushel of hay. "Are you here to save the princess? Do you know if she is all right?"

"Child-" his mother started, but Link waved away her ensuing reprimand.

Link gathered his thoughts as he spread out a meal for his horse. "I will do what I can." Link peeked toward him then looked to his mother. "How do the people know of me?"

"Telma, the barkeep. She started spreading rumors of your deeds some days ago. As the word spread, it soon became fact," she replied.

"So, is it all true?" the excited boy asked. "Did you really save the Goron village?"

News of this deed as well? How much had Telma revealed to the public? Link nodded, though. Renewing the hope of the people of Hyrule would instill bravery within them as well. "What is your name?"

"I'm Soal," he said, rather eager that Link had been so interested.

"Well then, Soal," said Link, stepping away from Epona, after closing her gate. "I will save Hyrule even if it means my life."

Soal's smile dropped, and his mother seemed tense. "But wouldn't that mean … you'd die?"

In reply Link smiled, only his eyes betraying his calm. He left Soal and his mother at that statement and entered into the torch lit town, throwing his hood over his face. It was one thing to allow the people the reassurance that a hero was among them, but it was another to display himself. He had become a symbol, yet the people needed to understand that he may not always be among them during a calamity. Therefore, if he kept himself from their eyes, they would not grow so dependent of him.

_Symbols_. Link murmured to himself. _First, the mark upon my hand, then the blade of the ancient sages, and now my very life... How many more honors must I uphold?_

He made his way through the thick crowd of night, reaching the tavern within only a few minutes. Inside, the air was thick with the scent of beer, laughter ringing through the atmosphere as crowding as the dense horde of common folk outside. He approached the bar, and Telma was there to serve him within seconds. "What can I get you?"

He tossed back his hood.

"Oh my, if it isn't Link!" she gasped, smile curving her lips. "How've you been, honey? How's Ilia doing?"

"Recovering."

"Don't worry," she reassured. "I'm sure that shaman will find a way to get her memory back. Hey, did you hear? Some of the townsfolk have actually pitched in to repair the eastern bridge out of the town. Of course, it's more due to that barrier over the castle that's stirring the people up. It's scaring them, but if you ask me … it's been the one thing that's happened that has actually made people realize something is wrong." Telma shook her head, waving off her comments. "Heh, but never mind all that. How about I introduce you to everyone?"

Link nodded; he had been eager to meet the Group. Though, a jolt of impatience pierced him. He needed information right now, not names.

Telma guided him toward a table at the back of the room where four individuals were gathered, obviously in a heated discussion.

"…I'll be investigating the situation further…" an armored woman spoke, yet she was interrupted by an older man, his face dotted with wrinkles. "…that's well, but there seems to be a disturbance in the desert. I am not saying that Snowpeak is not important, but we know for sure that they are regrouping…"

"No, all you have is an assumption," the dark-haired woman returned. "It was due to something in Snowpeak that the climate in Zora's Domain shifted so suddenly. That should be our concern right now."

"Everyone!" shouted Telma, and the argument fell into silence within moments, all turning their attention to her. "I want to introduce to you this handsome young man. This is the one I've been telling you all about. Link."

They all seemed to stare at him then, their gazes judging. The fourth member's face was covered by a helmet, only the thin line of his eyes revealed.

"This is Shad," said Telma, pointing out a bespectacled young man. Short locks of reddish hair dangled over his forehead. By the cut of his purple and brown attire, Link thought of him as a spoiled schoolchild. "He once lived in the castle; his father had been a butler to the royal family." It was no wonder then that this fellow tried to appear intelligent.

"Wonderful to meet you," he said, setting his book on the table. "Telma told us all you've been up to. Rather the formidable sort, are you? Not myself, I'm afraid. No, I lack, shall we say, physical skills. However, the history and legends of Hyrule are very much my area of expertise. For instance, have you head of the sky beings known as the Oocca-"

"Go on anymore and you'll send him packing," said the dark-haired woman. "I'm Ashei. I grew up in the mountains with my father, who was a knight in the royal army-"

"'Course your father never really saw eye-to-eye with the captain, did he?" interrupted the older man with whom she had been arguing. He had not said it to be cruel; his slight chuckle seemed fond of the memories.

"-so he left the castle," continued Ashei through gritted teeth. "He taught me the arts of war as though I was his son." Then she leaned in closer to Link. "Right now I'm investigating Snowpeak. Things are happening there that-"

The older man cut her off. "-are not worth our time right now." He turned back to face Link, as Ashei stepped away to take a drink from her tankard. He looked up at Link. "The name's Auru. I used to be a tutor for the royal family, and so I know a great deal of their past generations and every terror that they have had to contend with throughout the ages. Speaking of which, I was just telling Ashei, here, that our attention should be focused on the desert." Ashei shot him an angry glance, obviously tired of contradicting him.

"Oh, why don't you each look into your own assumptions then?" a familiar tone from the helmed man suggested. "This wickedness is not secluded to one place."

Link turned to the fourth member, eyes narrowed. Where had he heard that voice?

The man chuckled as he pulled away the helmet and added, "And frankly I think we're all a little tired of hearing the two of you argue."

Link knew that laugh. He took a step back in surprise as the helm cleared the man's head. "Rusl!"

"Yes, Link," the grey bearded blacksmith nodded. "I've known these people for some time, and when I heard that they'd gathered together, I had to see what I could do to help." He noticed how Link surveyed him. A worried glance. "Don't worry," he consoled. "I'm completely healed. And Uli told me about the children. Ordon owes you a debt of gratitude. And by the sound of your adventures, it seems that all of Hyrule will, too."

"You know this lad, Rusl?" asked Auru.

"Yes, of course. Link, here, is from my village. He rescued my son and the other children within the mountains."

_Your son_…. Link repeated within his mind. A sting of jealousy bit him then. Had anyone ever said that about _him_?

"So, Link, what brings you here?" asked Rusl, as Telma brought up two more chairs.

Link tossed his cape to one side and sat down, as Telma momentarily retreated to the bar, fetching mugs for both Link and herself. When she returned and sat, she scooted a mug toward him. Link ignored the beer and directed his gaze toward Rusl. "I need information about something … called the Mirror of Twilight."

All of them wore blank stares-except Auru. After Link had spoken, the old man had turned his attention to his hands. It was from him that Link waited for a reply. The others turned to him, too, after realizing who was held within Link's stare.

After a moment Auru coughed. "Why do you wish to know of it?" The white-haired man looked up, eyes gouging into Link's.

"I need to find it."

"And in finding it, I am supposing you would then wish to use it," his gruff voice said quietly so that the rest of the patrons could not overhear. "Am I right?"

Link refused to directly answer the question, however. He stared into the old man's eyes with the same unnerving twinkle.

Auru rubbed a hand through his hair. "This is why I have been telling you that we need to effectively scout the desert!" he said coarsely toward Ashei more than anyone. "I told you something was going on."

"What are you talking about?" asked Link.

Auru took a gulp from his mug before speaking. "The Gerudo Desert once held a prison built to hold the worst criminals this land has ever known. It is said that the criminals who were sentenced to death were sent directly to the underworld by a _cursed mirror_ that was kept within the prison's walls. I doubt that it has been moved or destroyed." The wrinkles lining his face seemed more recognizable to Link then; in his years Auru had seen and heard much, and he trusted his knowledge. "That prison is condemned, at world's end as some called it. I have been told it is haunted, that one can still hear the grueling shrieks of those long dead inmates."

Auru shifted in his chair and cast a look about the room. He then gazed back at the cloaked youth. "I know that something is amiss there, and whatever it is relates to the current state of affairs."

Link eyed the drink set before him as he mulled over the information. The cursed mirror Auru had spoken of was the very mirror for which he searched, he was sure of it. After he crossed the desert and he found it, there would be no turning back. His last battle would be beyond its surface. Without hesitating any longer, Link asked, "How can I get to the desert?"

Link heard Rusl's breath catch somewhat. Perhaps he had been hoping that Auru's description would have scared him away, yet if that were true then perhaps the blacksmith did not really know him after all. Link did not break his stare from Auru's, hoping that the older man recognized the absence of fear within him.

Nothing would stop the youth from finding the path into the desert, Auru could see. He pushed himself up from the table and grabbed a leather scroll from a shelf. He unlaced its clasp and flattened it atop the table, using beer mugs as weights. "The only pass that leads into the desert lies within the path connecting Lake Hylia to the southern field. Here." He indicated the place on the unrolled map.

Link rose and leaned inward, memorizing the location. The size of the desert in comparison to the other sections of the map was a bit daunting, but even seeing it nearly twenty times as large the eastern fields of Hyrule did nothing to divert Link. _I'm going to need a supply of water_, was his only thought. "Thank you for your help," he said, and he turned to Rusl. "Will you look after Epona while I am gone?"

"Of course," he accepted.

"Wait!" called Auru. "You didn't have in mind to be going alone, did you?"

In truth, Link would not be traveling alone, but it would raise too many questions if he offered them the truth, questions that he did not have time to answer clearly. "Yes."

"It is dangerous to go alone," he cautioned. "Those grounds are infested by evil."

"I travel by foot, so…. If I don't return in … five days-" Link compromised.

"I'll be coming after you," the wrinkled man finished.

With that, Link bowed in thanks and turned on his heel. The squealing of the door as he closed it behind him seemed to mirror the group's apprehension.

===============

The dead of night covered Link and Midna as they traversed the path toward the Lake Hylia bridge by foot. The cold sting seemed not to bother Link as much now that he wore the heavy Sheikah mantle, and perhaps its was more his peace of mind in donning it than the actual material which it was made of that warmed his body. Midna stepped along silently beside him, concentrated upon her every footfall it seemed. They crossed the Great Bridge, her bare feet meeting the cool stone with a soft pit-pat. She ambled along the road, keeping in step behind Link unconsciously, depending upon him for the moment to notify her of any danger.

When Midna at last gazed upward from her deep trance, she discovered that they had come far through the pass that linked the lake and the southern field. Link now tossed glances into every crevice of the walls comprised of grayish stone. He halted suddenly, arms akimbo, turning and glancing about. If he was not mistaken, this area had been the position which Auru had indicated on the map.

Midna threw her eye about, searching as well. There was a break in the rock of the westward wall behind Link. She had only noticed the receding stones due to the gleaming stars that shone brightly between the rocks. She pointed out its location to Link, and he shuffled about, a smile stealing his lips.

_Not so difficult_, he thought. "Right. Let's go."

But as Link moved toward the passage, Midna took once pace and hesitated. "Wait, Link."

He turned to her, and she looked away shyly. This behavior from Midna-a creature he had never known to be subtle-concerned him. He retreated back to her.

"There's something I want you to know." She breathed deep. "Do you remember what the spirit said about the Fused Shadows? What do you think happened to the magic wielders who tried to rule the Sacred Realm?" Midna floated upward then, coming eye-level to Link; however, her gaze remained downcast. "They were banished, chased across the sacred lands of Hyrule and driven into another realm by the goddesses."

She moved behind him, facing the desert. Link stood rooted, cocking his head to the side to watch her. "It was another world entirely. The antithesis of Hyrule, and its denizens became shadows that could not mingle with the light…. It came to be known as the Twilight Realm." Midna turned, and Link did likewise. She gazed into his eyes then, and Link could see-for the first time-true pain. She did not shield the vulnerability from him now, as she had so customarily done in the past.

"None could return from it to the world of light. They were forever doomed to live in the twilight, flitting in the half-light of dusk, mere shadows of Hyrule." She looked away again, seemingly suffering under Link's entranced stare, for an angry cry had been veiled within her tone. "This is the history of the Twili as it has been passed down from our ancestors."

Midna heard a slight intake of breath catch within Link, and she looked toward her darkened hands. "Do you now understand what I am?" She flung her arms with rage at the shadows which constructed her. "I am a descendant of the tribe that was banished to the Twilight Realm!" Midna's red eye bore into his, her tooth flaring through gritted teeth.

Everything fell into place. Every oddly fond remark she had ever made concerning the twilight. Now, it all made sense to Link.

"It was a peaceful place," she continued, trying to contain her fury, "until Zant took control and transformed all of the Twili into shadow beasts. It's clear to me now that he somehow gained a great power previously unknown to our tribe … from the one he calls his god." She cocked her head, composing herself. "In any case, I was sent from there, and could no longer get into the realm without his power….

"But there's a tale told among my people." Her eye flashed, the hopeful sparkle within it radiating. "Though the goddesses forbade us to return to the world of light, they left one link between the light and the darkness, passed to the protectors of Hyrule. The Mirror of Twilight. Your friend has given hope to this myth. It's our only path to the Twilight Realm."

Midna then seemed tentative, more afraid than Link had ever seen her. The dim twinkling of her eye showered so much agony that it seemed to combat the equal trust that cascaded from within her. She placed her smooth palm upon his cheek. Her hand was so small and seemed so fragile. She looked straight into Link's eyes, the distance between them seeming to be squeezed away entirely. "You'll come into the twilight with me … won't you?"

Link smiled and closed his hand around hers. The touch felt so right. "Midna, you don't have to ask me. You'll never have to ask me."

A warmth spread through her in that moment, and a small grin played with her lips.

Link would not leave her. He would stand his ground alongside her, and that was the most comforting thought she had ever encountered. It still amazed her how fond she had grown of Link and how she trusted him so much. There was nothing she would not trade if just to see him smile, if only to know that he was there beside her.

If only such a feeling of security could always remain with her….


	27. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25: Across the Dunes of Gerudo Mesa**

As night turned to day, rock soon became splattered specks, pebbles of brown spread across the path as if the heavens had dusted their clouds. The mountains fell away, crumbled into bits of rock that instead rose in dunes, particles of their sides floating away with light and strong winds alike. The sands of the Gerudo Desert had at last greeted Link and Midna. However, with sparse clouds dotting the sky, the gleaming mass above was free to heat the pebbles to a high degree. The warmth radiating from the sand burned at Link's face, and already he felt sweat dotting his forehead and cheeks, his cloak choking and cooling his body at the same time.

Yet Link and Midna continued on across the sands. They knew by the map Auru had shown them that the ancient prison was located to the northeast, and so, they directed their steady pace after Link had calculated their path from the position of the star above. Within the first hour of their fixed speed, spires appeared on the hazed horizon-far, far away-and though they were still quite a long distance away, their presence at least assured them that they were heading in the right direction. Those soaring pikes were sure to be location of the prison, and fortunately, in the event that Link and Midna became disoriented, it would only take a glance about to spot the towering spires to redirect their course accordingly.

Their steps soon became strained as they crossed over dunes of various sizes, fighting gravity as their weight knocked sections of sand loose, the dunes trying vainly to force them back to level ground. It had been at facing these difficulties that Link urged Midna to retreat into his shadow. It was useless for her to exert her short limbs at this point. Though her expression was argumentative, she did as he asked without retort.

Link struggled as he treaded through the shifting land, leaving footprints behind that sunk deeper due to the many grains falling out of place and cascading down the sides of the mounds. Hours passed by quietly, and though Link was unaccustomed to such constant heat, his pace never faltered. He wiped incessantly at his forehead streaming with perspiration, and he slapped away the hair matted to his face.

A few more hours into his continuous path, Link halted his steps, heaving deep breaths. Evening was already setting into the massive sky once more. He slipped his water pouch from his belt and gulped down a small drink. The distance between him and spires ahead had closed by miles, but they still appeared so very far away. _How big can this desert be?_ Link licked his lips and tied the waterskin off once more on his belt. He looked up. Night came quickly. _At this rate it will take me at least another day just to get there._ This reminded Link of the compromise he had reached with Auru. If it took him four days of just travel to and from the prison, a day was not exactly an efficient amount of time to set aside for any unforeseen obstacles he would face in reaching Zant … not to mention the intermittent rest he would need.

Nevertheless, stopping to consider his time restraints did nothing to solve the matter. As he resumed his steps, his mind continued to churn. He could allow the Auru and the others to bump into him on his way back through the desert, but if they tried to come to his aid while he was within the Twilight, he did not want them to follow. If they entered into the other realm and suffered in the attempt to help or rescue him, he would never be able to lift the blame from his heart.

As time progressed and night blanketed the desert dunes, Link's thoughts trailed to other matters, trivial in comparison to his current mission, his thoughts intermingling and constantly jumping about. Ilia.… Would she ever remember their time together? Colin…. Did he truly forgive him for hurting Luda? Malo and Talo…. Had the cruelties of life been forced upon them too aggressively? Rusl…. Had there _ever_ been a time when he had loved Link as a son? His parents…. Who had they been, and why had they left him? He wanted to belong to someone so desperately, to feel as if he had a true place within the world.

Midna….

His thoughts lingered upon his companion the longest. Her appearance-that tiny, curvaceous figure; long, slender arms; short, stubby legs-had seemed so alien to him once, so very long ago. Her vicious remarks, threatening smile, and her judgmental gaze. At a time he had hated all these attributes of hers, but as time had progressed, Link had come to realize that these were not faults. He had come to see her for her true self. Her way of speaking was just her personality. The ways her lips coiled were pure reactions, normal for any being. And now he rather liked it when she looked at him, the crimson within her eye seeming less hostile than it had once been.

The way she had pleaded for Princess Zelda to help him … with what would have been her last moments. Midna seemed so much nobler to him, one who truly wished peace for all peoples. And he had to admit that he rather liked having Midna along now; her companionship was a constant reminder that-not only was he doing the right thing-but there were those who cared for him and the sacrifices he had made and was yet to make.

He caught a smile before it sprouted across his face, recalling that his deeper thoughts seemed to connect with Midna while she was within his shade. A little embarrassed and self-conscious of the fact that she may have felt what he had been thinking, he cleaned the thoughts from his mind, where he had been lost for some time, he concluded.

The sun now glowered down upon him at its highest point in the blue expanse above. And excuse as to how he could have walked all through the night and early morning without noticing the changes escaped Link. He did not even really feel too tired yet, and now he feared stopping. As long as he kept up some momentum, he thought his muscles would not have the opportunity to understand just how exhausted they had likely become. One thing good to come of his unwavering pace was that he had come much closer to the prison, the circling pikes then appearing larger and taller within each half hour of travel after that.

After several more hours of restless travel, he could distinctly see the prison below the pikes, only a half mile away. The building was nestled within a corner of mountainous, brown rock that erupted from beneath the sands.

He felt a mental tug on his mind as Midna called out, "Link, look!" He searched about, on his guard now. Over the head of a dune between him and the prison rose a stream of smoke. Link crouched as he moved forward then, cautious of any other visitors.

Ducking at the top of a sand hill, he peered over. The large space in front of the prison's walls was completely flat … and there were guards. A campfire sizzled at the middle of their huddle, prepared for the sun's descent, which was again coming quickly. Two of the bulblin mercenaries and their boars sat near the fire while two of the guards were stationed above on lone wooden towers.

He turned his attention to the structure beyond, and from what he could tell it was by no means inescapable, for its stone walls had fallen away in some areas. In several spots the ceiling had completely caved inward. However, the complex seemed to stretch back for some distance. Perhaps the sections at which Link now looked had not been the places where the protectors had locked away their inmates. This forward section only appeared to be closed off by a few gates, so perhaps it was merely the entrance into the real prison. Link's attention was drawn to the spires, which had served as the north of his compass in this desert waste. Six in total, all capped by long poles that supported what appeared to be the royal symbol of the eagle, each holding something circular within its wings. _Yes, that must be where the Mirror is located_, he surmised. _Now, just to reach it…._

He scanned the horizon of the main entrance to find even more archer towers hidden among the stone. There were seven in total on the inside, along with ground guards that he noticed a moment later patrolling every walkway that he could see through the wrecked state of the walls. "This is good … and bad."

Midna appeared at his side and peeked over the dune. "How could this be good?" she demanded.

As Link answered her, he drew out his bow and counted out nine arrows. "Zant definitely didn't want anyone getting in there, which means that there is something he's guarding. Hence, I doubt that the Mirror has been destroyed."

"Well, of course-that's good," Midna said, and her brief pause drew Link's gaze to her. He did not quite understand the look in her eye, but he dismissed it. She was not one to respond well to questions at any rate.

Link peeked over the sands again, checking his targets. None of them had moved, and those on the ground paced through the same paths continuously. Link jabbed each of his arrows headfirst into the side of the dune, holding his bow loosely. Midna watch him impatiently, as it seemed he would never take aim on any of the guards. When he passed a glance toward the dimming sky, she lost all tolerance. "What are you waiting for exactly? A miracle from the heavens?"

"There are too many of them to just start shooting," he returned calmly. "We wait until the cover of nightfall. That way they won't see that their archers are disappearing, not right away at least. Then we stay to the shadows and take the rest of the guards out one by one."

Link realized his reply had come in sporadic pants, and he felt the smarting ache, the tightness, in his legs. _I really need to rest anyway_, he thought, thankful that he had the time and the excuse to recuperate from the long journey. He took a short sip from his waterskin, sure to continue rationing it.

For a wrangler he was not so bad at strategizing. Midna sank into the sand facing away from the prison. At first, she folded her arms and cast her gaze toward her feet, waiting. But as the night seemed to stave itself off on purpose, she threw her sights toward its reaches as if silently pleading the sun to fall. She could not handle remaining idle for long. Stillness was never something she had excelled at.

She turned to Link; his gaze was so fierce, so intense and full of purpose. How did he keep his composure so well in dangerous situations? Of course, she was not one to lose her head in such times, but she had to wonder where exactly his strength came from. Was it simply blessed powers he had been given by the goddesses? Or was there something else to Link that he had never spoken of?

Her thoughts were quelled however, as darkness suddenly appeared and cooled the dry sand. Link flexed his arm then and raised his bow, nocking the first arrow, greeting the chill with a smile. He released the shaft and it sailed directly into the forehead of the furthest of the archers above the campfire. The dead body had not even touched the ground below before Link had dispatched its twin patrol. The first corpse landed with a thud, rousing the attention of the two bulblins sitting at the fire, but the second caused more of a clamor, splashing into the flames and sending orange sparks flying in all directions.

Link quickly grabbed another arrow from its sheath in the sand and took aim of a new target within the walls of the entry while the guards at the fire tried to figure out what was happening. Link's arrow caught his prey in the neck, but he reacted by nocking another deadly weapon and releasing its assault upon the next sentry in line.

By the time the archers and ground troops understood what was happening and had rallied behind cover, Link had already dispatched five of the inward bowmen. Some began barking orders, others asked for instructions, but most tossed their gazes about in truly incomprehensive gestures.

_Thankfully these guards don't appear to be organized_, thought Link as he struck down his seventh victim. _All the more simple…._

As soon as the last of the archers were eliminated, Link threw his bow back into its casing and tossed his hood over his head to conceal his appearance further. "Ready?" he called to Midna. When she nodded he withdrew the twin daggers that he had previously inherited and raced out over the dune toward the campfire.

His voluminous cloak had been spotted for nothing more than a mere second before Link again slipped into darkness, and the bodies of the two outside guards collapsed in the sand, several knife wounds painted across their figures. Even more riled at their deaths, the bulblins on the inside of the walls tightened their grip on their weapons, casting apprehensive glances in all directions, waiting for someone to call out the location of the attacker.

Link hugged the outside wall, relying on his enemies' attention to be focused on the outlying fortifications so that he could sneak inside. He crept along, Midna at his side, until he arrived at a gaping opening in the middle of a crumbled section. He craned his neck to peer inside, finding only one guard at this post-its gaze turned away toward the main gate. Apparently, its instincts had falsely indicated that any intruder would barge in through the front door.

To remind the bulblin that not all trespassers were ill educated in the ways of stealth, Link slipped in through the breach, slit its throat, and kicked it to the ground to muffle the better half of its dying gurgles. Midna remained close at hand, prepared to fend off any of the sentries at any moment Link might fail to react.

Just as quickly as Link had slain the guard, he had receded from the reach of the flittering torchlight to calculate his next step.

By this time all of the patrols were on their highest guard, in a whirl of motion as they spoke to others around them and checked every crevice. Link did not wait to unleash his next attack, cloak spiraling behind his movements as he dipped in and out of the shadows in an intersection where three guards paced back and forth in their search. They dropped quickly, falling in a heap.

Link flooded through the area in this manner, slashing through unsuspecting foes. Midna cast magicks upon the few who caught sight of his cape, rendering them lifeless to the ground before they could attack. Link and Midna continued, dropping into every corner that crawled with the patrols, and they soon made their way closer toward the complex.

Link and Midna made their way through the narrow corridors, some with ceilings and others cleaved open to the starry sky. Link snuck up behind a guard at the end of a passage who clutched its sword with shaking hands, peering out into a room that spilled out in front of it. Link clubbed it across the back of the head with the blade of a dagger, but the thud of the body drew the attention of several surrounding guards, and before Link could escape through any breach in wall or ceiling, seven bulblins had encircled him and Midna. Link held his daggers at the defensive, as he felt Midna's back against his, also prepared.

One of the guards barked an order and they all began closing in on the intruding pair. Only Link's mouth and the tip of his nose were exposed to their sight, and he imagined that due to the mysteriousness of his present figure he would be able to intimidate them.

Link took a half step forward, stretching a blade out to his leftmost target. At once, each sentry stopped, trying to judge what action Link would take next. Their brief hesitance was all Link needed to secure his thoughts on how to escape. His plan formulated within an eye blink, and he knew that Midna waited for a signal.

Link stepped into a furious dance then, his daggers whipping in all directions. First, he lunged toward his nearest foe, landing the knifepoint into its eye. Midna had called her body into movement at that point, rays of black-tinted red and green rays spiraling about the area, adding to Link's rhythm. During the altercation Link seemed to be everywhere at once, Midna at the center of the fight, focusing her magic and guiding their beams to miss Link.

He ducked out of the path of a sword and dove upward with a dagger, killing its master, and he then turned upon the next-and final-opponent of the group. This one, however, seemed more skilled with its saber and in keeping fear at bay. Link swiped his daggers in, but the bulblin parried and countered with a low slice toward Link's stomach. Link leapt back immediately, and greenish sparks flew out from behind the cloaked warrior, sailing directly for the guard.

The bulblin quickly brought up its guard, and the steel exploded upon the magic's contact, shards impaling the walls and the owner of the blade. Although, stunned by the pain of the sharp piece of metal that had embedded itself within its stomach, the foe darted away. Link chased after it as it led him into a small rectangular building. Yet when Link entered, the bulblin was no where to be seen. Inside, there were at least eight boars, some eating out of their troughs while others rested. Though, there were two that glanced up at the disturbance.

There were two exists, the one Link had used upon entering and another that loomed ahead.

He started for the open door, but all of a sudden a wooden gate blocked the way. He twisted about just in time to see a gate slide over the other opening as well. Link did not panic, however. He turned back to his exit and spotted a crack in the bottom. By this he could see that the gate was at least a foot thick. He looked to Midna, and she nodded in comprehension. Link stepped back as she conjured a dark orb of magic and cast it at the gate.

Yet it only made a small indention at its point of contact and only peeled away a few splinters. Link decided against asking her to use her energies to break down the obstacle, for by the time her magicks could free them, she would be too exhausted to lift a finger.

_Right, so maybe they aren't so disorganized after all_, Link admitted to himself. He had misjudged the situation. He had concluded that the guard he had snuck up on had been trembling due to the fact that none of them seemed to have known what was going on, and now Link realized- _He had been the bait._

But just as he had deduced how he had come to be in this situation, an odor wafted into the stable from the outside. He flung his hood back so that he could sniff at the air without the material restricting his sense. "Smoke," he identified.

Cursing, he sheathed his daggers and tossed his sight about looking for something he could use. His eyes sparkled at the item in the corner behind one of the boar pens. _At least they're not the smartest bunch_, he grinned, rushing over to where the heavy axe leaned against the wall. He gripped it tight just as the corners of the thatched roof exploded in orange fires. Link stepped alongside the door and swung the deadly blade into the gate. Its impact left a deep impression in the wood, and with another hit, chucks of wood began to break away.

Greatly satisfied, Link plunged into a fit of pounding against the gate, pieces small and large splitting away with each strike. Soon the flames above them had spread across the entirety of the ceiling, and the thick black fog filled the room quickly. The boars had begun to toss their heads in fright, and the sound of their squeals drew Link's attention to them momentarily. He amassed his plan quickly, hoping that it would work.

Link returned to his task, splintering the gate apart just enough….

The smoke attacked his eyes, forcing out tears from the dry pain. Choking on the haze, Link stepped back to look at his work through squinted eyes. Content with how much he had been able to tear from its surface, he grabbed Midna by the waist and carried her quickly to a boar. It reared when he mounted its saddle, and Midna simply held tight to his arm, unable to see anything through her single eye and her heaving lungs.

Link directed the boar as best he could toward the gate, the animal squealing at the flames and the sudden weight. It tried to sever itself from the course Link had set, but Link sunk his legs into the creature and yanked on its reins each time it faltered to a side, directing its gallop for the unstable gateway.

With a horrendous, shattering crack, the boar broke through the decomposed doorway, flame spouting after them in a single burst of flashing orange. Its immediate and lethal spark caught the tail of Link's cloak, and he quickly patted down its existence. Free of the inferno, Midna continued coughing as they galloped away, Link taking the opportunity to fight back his own series of wheezes to retrieve a dagger and slay the bulblins that he came nearest to and forcing the boar to trample several others.

Link stayed upon the straight path that stretched outward from the stable, following its course through the encampment. Fortunately, it seemed to lead directly into the innards of the complex, and the passage spilled out into an open area.

Boulders of a broken structure seemed to have dotted the ground for mere decoration, for if they had once been apart of any walls there was only a short framework upon the ground that served as the evidence to the fact. A long stairway led up to the entrance of the prison, and it appeared to have remained free of the suffering to which the rest of the outside buildings had been victim. However, columns lined the stairs on its outside edges, appearing cracked and withered from the ancient years they had likely seen. Two balconies branched off from the entryway at the top of the steps.

Link had spotted the archers upon these platforms too late, two arrows whizzing by his head. In dodging one he misjudged the trajectory of the other, and it scraped along his right earlobe and impaled the ground behind him. Link's hand shot immediately to his bleeding ear, releasing the reins of the frightened boar as he cringed at the smarting pain. He drew himself from the rearing animal, stumbling with his hands busied and unable to steady his weight. He sprinted behind one of the wrecked boulders that would conceal him from both archers' weapons. With the stone's width, he was able to set Midna down-her coughing now controlled-and tend to his ear. He winced at his stinging touch against the open wound. It did not feel like a wide slash, but his blood had already stained the entire of the ear and now drizzled down his neck and collar.

He whipped his cloak to one side and withdrew his bow once more, peeling out an arrow from his quiver. He aimed it quickly when he ducked out to the right, sending it for the archer before it could target him. Link had concealed himself after he had fired and rightly assumed that the dull thud that sounded moments later had been the untimely death of the guard. Link peered to the left and spotted the second, crouched down behind a broken stone wall with only its head peeking out. Its bow was aimed directly upon Link's hiding place, and when Link had ducked out momentarily, it had fired a clean shaft that would have pierced his forehead had he not retreated.

Yet Link had no other alternative except to attempt to hit his mark before the bulblin did. Link removed another shaft and nocked it, pulling back on the string slightly. He searched his memory for the details on where and how the archer sat, calculating the distance away and from what angle he would need to shoot.

Taking a deep breath, he twisted out from behind the rock and fired after a quick adjustment of his bow then slipped back into his concealment … but not before the enemy arrow was able to graze the middle of his arm. Link had let out a yelp and clapped a hand to the wound, as his bow fell to his feet. He did not know if he had been successful in slaying the archer, instead looking to his arm. A straight rip of white was met by a line of blood.

"You have absolutely the worst luck," remarked Midna.

He smirked in return. There was a part of truth in that, he realized. Every danger into which he had entered, he had exited with injuries. Perhaps it was that he had bad luck despite his skills, or maybe it was due to the very evil against which he fought. Either way, his personal pain and grief was nothing to be compared to that of Hyrule's. In spite of any wound, he had made a vow to continue.

Link gritted his teeth against the pain he found when he flexed his arm. Fortunately, it had been his right arm that had taken the injury, and he would still be able to use his sword without fear of dealing further damage in using it unless the situation called for such action.

He peered toward the balcony then, the bulblin's feet dangling lifeless over the edge. Rather pleased with himself, Link grabbed up his bow, and fixed it within its case again. He and Midna then raced up the surprisingly whole staircase, and came to the entrance of the prison. Ornately carved torches-made of brass if Link judged correctly-curtained the outside of the barred opening. The gate appeared to be a newer addition … as did the lock that sealed it to either side of the cavity.

"Well, at least we shouldn't encounter any more resistance once we get inside," said Link thoughtfully. Before Midna could retort, he lifted one of the flaming torches from the loop clasping it to the wall. He bashed its tip hard against one of the locks several times, and it soon broke away. Link wrenched the gate open partly and crept into the narrow corridor beyond, Midna trailing behind him.


	28. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26: The Ghouls of the Grounds**

Torches lined the walls within the prison, but due to the fact that no guards appeared to have been stationed inside, all were devoid of light. Link set flame to each as he encountered them, bringing a certain hollow life to the place. It felt like sickly as a tomb, and it had every right to be this way. By Auru's testament it was a prison of condemned souls. And whether it was his imagination or not … Link thought he heard a distant cry of sorrow.

Nevertheless, Link and Midna moved forward in the meager light, wary of the shadowed areas that often crept with collections of tiny black bugs that shrieked at them in hisses. The floor had been laid out in flat, tiled stones, but in many large and small areas the rock had been cracked to reveal deposits of sand. Link avoided these naked spots as best as he could in the fear that any of them were natural quicksand traps.

They moved through a narrow passage, the air musty, hanging with the scent of decay, and as they worked their way into the next room, a pungent wave of death assaulted their nostrils. Link immediately jerked his head away from the scene within, trying to exhale the sharp odor. He balled part of his cloak and used it as a veil between him and the rotting bodies that lay before them.

The bodies had been piled in a corner long ago and had either been forgotten or neglected. The weight of the topmost had buckled over, spilling into the floor, and making the entire room seem to be a display of acrid death. The smell and sight attacked Link's eyes, the stale scent scratching at them. Whatever had happened here, it had not been completely as Auru had said. Perhaps the wickedest of criminals had indeed been sent directly to the netherworld, but what of these bodies? Was this room a deposit for the dead? It seemed unlikely. This room was the only way Link had found that led into the prison, which meant that it would have been the only way to pass in and out of the keep.

It would have been pointless to store dead criminals here … unless other passages had been part of the original design and had collapsed in piles of stone over the ages. Something just did not feel right, though. Maybe it was just that Link had never seen so many dead people and in such a way before. But it all seemed … wrong.

It did not matter right now, however. Link's sole concern for the moment was to locate the Mirror of Twilight, and that meant searching through the entire forsaken fortress, which he hoped would not be the end to his life as well.

He motioned to Midna-who clamped her nose tight-and led her through the corpses, avoiding as many of them as was possible. They passed quickly through the door at the other side of the room-only to be greeted by an air of dampened dark and grit. Webs of dust blanketed the surface of the walls and the pillars that lined the grand hallway. In the far half of the rectangular room, a staircase sat, bordered on either side with two large torches. The familiar eagle crest had been stamped onto each of these torches, yet the oddest feature lay in the lights themselves. Radiant flares of sapphire were reflected about the room, the dull shade creating an even more eerie atmosphere that seemed to echo the faint shrieks of death that remained upon the air.

Above this flight of stairs loomed a giant chandelier at the same height as the two balconies at its sides which overlooked the hallway. The metal with which it had been crafted had rusted, and the chains that held it suspended from the ceiling threatened to snap at any moment. Link moved cautiously through the hallway, vigilant for signs that any part of the structure may topple.

Link led the way up the staircase and through the doorway at the top, and after a narrow passage, he and Midna arrived in an already dimly lit chamber. Its area was small, but the room expanded upward, a colossal statue filling the height at the far wall. Its figure detailed the form of a woman sitting cross-legged, though; her face had been chiseled away through its age. Its upturned hands-resting upon the knees-held the sources of the flickering light. Something that resembled a snake was coiled about the body of the figure. Faded blues and reds suggested that it had been painted once, and Link could only imagine the beauty it had possessed upon the day of its completion.

Yet Link had paused in that moment, awed by the appearance of such craftsmanship in a prison-a tomb. It confused him. Something of such elegance within a chamber of despair did not seem to make sense … unless it was the depiction of some netherworld deity. Whether this statue, bearing the power of fire and the lethality of a serpent, was present to ease the prisoners or to cast them into even more distress, Link could not guess.

He peeled his gaze from the figure to search about the room. There was only one offshoot at the left, but just as he approached the passage, he stepped back. Two lines of spikes stretched across the opening, a skeleton resting against several of them, the pikes having speared its chin, chest, and leg. Link moved carefully through the spikes, now realizing that the prison guards must have put traps in place, prepared for any attempt by the inmates to escape. And where there was one trap, there was sure to be a dozen more. He crept through the passage slowly, watching his steps and the walls for any indication of hidden switches.

Several closed cells dotted the length of the corridor on either side. No light existed within the passage, so Link held up his torch to the rooms. Some were empty, yet others held scenes horror, traces of gore remaining as evidence to tragic endings. Both Link and Midna forced back their vomit, trying to breathe in the decomposed deaths as little as possible. Link removed his light from the tiny chambers as well as he could, only the front sections visible in the partial light cast upon them.

They finally reached the end of the passage, but the relief seemed only temporary. Link looked into the next room from the doorway. High above hung a chandelier, like the one he had seen in the grand entryway, level with a partly demolished balcony. The chains that suspended it were clasped through a loop constructed into the ceiling, the chains each streaming downward, connected to loops built into the walls. However, all but one metal rope had remained attached, causing the chandelier to slope awkwardly.

Three passages broke off from the room, but they had been blocked by collapsed debris. Bones and skulls were scattered across the edges of the room, making a complete body difficult to locate. Link was beginning to realize just why there seemed to be so much dust clogging the air and covering the architecture. Dead flakes of human skin….

Waking Link from his disgusted stare was the creepy feeling that eyes were upon him. His spine tingled. He reached back for his hilt … but something cold and frail brushed across his hand. His eyes wide, Link heaved a deep breath. Everything he had encountered with this tomb had been dead for decades, but-what…?

A shriek echoed behind him, chilling the very air and reverberating against the close walls of the corridor. The shrill sound entered into his ears and seemed to quake within his very soul, freezing his feet to the ground. For only a few seconds, Link could not bring himself to move, even as his brain screamed for him to make some attempt. Midna seemed to have undergone the same state. And it was within those split moments that rough vines enwrapped his wrist.

It was this touch that awoke his senses, and he spun about to guard Midna, but she had relocated to his side, having stumbled to her knees. What lay behind him now…. A face, wrapped in bandage upon filthy bandage, staring down into his eyes only inches away…. Drool and some other fluid dripped from its mouth, raining upon Link's clothes. Its breath trailed into Link's mouth and nostrils, and he was again paralyzed. The absolute fear that reigned within Link's stationary body felt like no other he had ever before experienced … as if his own death were mirrored into those void yet ruthless eyes that peeked through the dirty wrappings. He realized that its hand was that which had captured his, and life seemed to drain away slowly. It was as if the tattered red cape around its torso were Link's blood, swirling in an ocean of death, consuming his life as it pooled around him.

In that moment a cold so deep enwrapped Link's heart, and the world seemed to recede.

The bandaged creature lunged.

But … so did Midna.

She crashed into Link with the full force of her strength, knocking him into the side of the corridor. The creature's grasp had remained taut, but Link's eye contact had been severed from the monster's. In that instant warmness returned to Link as was his vigor. Before the body could consume him in its stare once more, Link retaliated against its incoming eyes and mouth by slamming his torch into it.

Flame caught its dried rags, devouring it in a blossoming orange rose. Its shrieks were suffocated by the wall of fire and smoke, as it stumbled blindly away to collapse in the middle of the passage. Link looked to Midna, nodding his thanks, but she glowered at him. "Never look them in the eyes!"

Surprise hit Link as hard as the undead creature had held his wrist. Midna knew what such creatures were … and what they were capable of? And yet … a memory resurfaced within him of a day long ago. He had been nearly twelve years old when he and Rusl had been within the woods hunting … the evening when Rusl had spoken of the cruelest of creatures. Undead beings … soulless beings. There had been many names for them. Ancient races had called them redeads. They had named walking armies of skeletons as stalkin and their formidable leaders as the stalfos. Link had doubted the tales of such hellish creatures, but now … to have faced the vacant eyes of a redead….

"Uh … Link?"

He turned about when Midna's voice came crashing through his mind again. The bones within the next room had begun trembling, and-as it clearly appeared-reassembling themselves. Before them, a room of nearly ten stalkin approached them, spears in hand.

Reflexes overtook Link's mind, and he was instantly in motion, calling for Midna to follow. Unable to detour through one of the passages since they had been obstructed, Link yanked out his blade while he sprinted directly into the midst of the stalkin force. He crushed some of their bodies to the floor again, but no strike seemed to keep them down for long. Midna questioned his sanity angrily, but she soon realized that he had not headed into the swarm-he was merely passing through, for the only direct route to the chain keeping the chandelier in place had been through their groping fingers and prodding spears.

Link did not have to say anything for Midna to understand his intent. As he came to the chain, she clung to his waist, and he smashed his blade into the bottom of the chain, tossing the torch away and seizing the whipping metal. Instantly, their feet left the ground, and they were cast upward as the chandelier fell onto the group of stalkin below, the torch having drenched two of them in flame.

Once Link reached the peak of the chain's upward swing, he released his grip, and he came crashing down to the balcony. Yet, he had not been close enough to land on it, his fingers barely clasping onto its edge. The impact of the stones into his desperate hand seemed to have broken his fingers, pain shooting through his arm. The rip near the middle of his arm began to pound with every heartbeat, the dried blood cracking open and sending a fresh wave of red squeezing out.

Link breathed deep and tossed his sword up onto the platform. He held onto the edge with both hands then, a small relief settling into his right arm. As he began pulling himself up he could feel the weight that had been Midna lift from him. He saw a trail of bubbling black and red out of the corner of his eye, knowing that she had used her magic to propel upward. Link heaved himself halfway onto the surface just as Midna landed. He pulled his legs up one at a time, and once he had managed to drag himself fully onto the balcony, he rested as Midna peered through the passage leading from their position.

"This is fantastic. It's pitch black and you tossed away our only light," she sneered.

Chuckling, Link picked himself up, grabbing his sword. "Well, if you preferred that I leave you with our walking skeleton friends, waving spears," -he said, peeking over the edge and then looking to her- "why didn't you just say so?"

Midna growled a response and turned to the darkened corridor.

The joke of a question had been more for Link's own peace of mind. He did not entirely like the idea of moving on without a way of clearly seeing, but he did not exactly fancy spending his time in a dead end pit with the soulless either. Flexing his right hand to work out the pain it had endured, Link led the way into the dark corridor. Now that he realized that beings still roamed the ancient prison, he decided to keep his blade at the ready.

They blindly stumbled through the passage, using the stone walls as their guide. However, Link's hand barely touched the wall-his fingertips tracing its path-for he did not wish to set off one of the spike traps that had been the death of the first prisoner they had encountered. Thus, he also stepped lightly, judging the ground before he pushed his full weight down. His eyes could see a vague outline of the walls and floor, but he lent more of his attention to his other senses. The wretched shrieks of long dead victims still cried out. There were whispering voices, too. Some seemed hungry for Link's soul, and others…. It seemed as if they pleaded for him, wanting his presence to banish the insane loneliness and silence that had fallen upon the prison for countless years.

Link nearly tripped then, stubbing his toes on a raised stone. He felt around the area with his foot, concluding that they had come to a set of stairs. After they had ascended at least fifty of these stones, Link could see a faint bluish light outlining where the staircase leveled off. They reached the last step, and the room before them spread out in a large circular shape. The walls-dotted with columns-were cracked, sand seeping through at some points, creating strips of intermittent falls that pooled into the depressions of the floor where stone had been stripped away. The construction of the room was symmetrical, just as previous rooms, and there were three other exits. The two branching to the sides led deeper into the level they had just entered, yet the third stretched on ahead of them, ascending to another floor.

The blue light, Link noted, came from above. The ceiling was partially open to the night sky, the calming beams of the moon shining down and embracing him. A certain relief encased him in that moment. It was a reminder that this tomb-though at the end of the world-was not all there was in existence. The rays reminded him that there was an outside world to which he would return.

As Link inched further into the room, he noticed strange markings on the floor, radiating outward in circles from the central point of the chamber. He came to the middle, and stared at the carvings out of pure curiosity. Some of the symbols resembled worldly things such as birds or people, and there was a curling mark that appeared like a staff. The other etchings were simple lines either curving or straight or jagged. Perhaps they were characters of an ancient writing, but Link could not discern their meanings. Shrugging, he looked away from the markings, but-

A low grumble shook the pebbles lying across the floor, and Link's footstep halted in midair. A shrill cry pierced his ears, and his head jerked about, looking for any sign of movement.

But he heard the prelude to his death before he caught sight of it. The heavy gust created by the black sword sailing through the air alerted Link, and he dove out of its path before it crashed into his last position. It embedded itself into the stones of the central symbols and rested there for many a long moment, wherein Link picked himself back up and watched the weapon closely for its next attack, his Master Sword at the ready.

His sight only left the strangely motionless blade to search for Midna. She was no where that he could see, and he thought perhaps she had taken refuge in one of the many shadows splayed across the chamber.

Yet he could not tend to his fear for Midna for long. The blade began to hum, and red symbols much like those decorating the floor brightened in a dull red across its surface. Link raised his sword to his side, prepared to attack or defend against any creature that wielded the dark saber. However, the metal rose from the ground without any indication of a master. Nothing gripped its hilt as it was pulled away, but Link did not lend himself to surprise. He had experienced first hand what would happen if he succumbed to the shock of the unnaturalness of this place.

The blade swung through the air at and incredible arch, and Link-having no other way to defend against a sword as long as he was tall-leapt back to allow the engaged column next to him take the brunt of the attack. Debris fell from the pillar, its middle bursting away at the force of the strike. A fit of coughs captured Link's lungs as he tried to free his airway from the rising dust. When he looked up through the cloud, it was to see Midna once more.

Midna hovered near the center of the room, where the sword had returned, dangling the same as she. However, she spread a black magic outward around the saber, enveloping it in beams that soon sparkled with red and green and white. The blade writhed at the touch of the magicks, nearly slamming into the unmoving Midna several times. Something alien tugged at Link's heart each time the sword whirled close to her, but-somehow—it seemed she knew what she was doing despite the great danger she had put herself in.

The magic uncloaked the hidden figure within the shadows, a white hand forming around the hilt of the blade. A voluminous figure appeared from within the dancing lights. A sinister figure. Once ripped from its cryptic darkness, a cry of death itself rained from its body. Billowing robes floated about its frame, hanging loosely upon its skeletal shoulders. Its brightness soon faded, and the morbid black that seemed to infest the worst of evils shrouded the form.

It turned its head to face them. A ghastly face. Its head was shaped like that of a mutated ram, its hornlike appendages curling toward its head in a crescent shape. The triangular head shot outward in a snout like that of a demon serpent. Lethal teeth and fangs hung out of its wide maw when it screeched, saliva dripping from their tips. Its red eyes flashed ominously.

Its hanging, scaly flesh drew back Link's memories of childhood nightmares. The dead flesh of a rotten body, sticking to its bones and withered muscles tightly. Bony fingers laced around the hilt of the blade, and the other set flexed hungrily, its long and curled, blackened fingernails crusted over with the sick and blood of prisoners long dead. Either this creature was a lingering soul of the netherworld, or it had dwelled in the chamber for ages, torturing and murdering the souls of the criminals at the will of the guards. Whichever was true it looked as though it had been left alone for some time, starving for the chance to resume its pleasurable killings.

The creature cocked its head, glaring toward Midna, however; when it swung its giant blade toward her, she had disappeared once more into shadows. Enraged, its head jerked toward Link, a low grumble consuming the air as it circled around, sword dangling at its side. Black smoke rose into the air in its wake like a wave of cold death. As the deadly sword and its master approached Link, the curdling mass of fog stretched for him like greedy fingers.

Link had no clue how to fight an undead foe, for how could he kill something that was already supposed to be withered and silent? He moved quickly for an exit, but two skeleton guards rose up quickly, as if they had gathered their pieces from the very walls and floor. Their cranium obviously larger than the stalkin and their bones standing taller, Link realized they were stalfos, the legendary demon leaders. Link stepped back, their swords crossing together to bar his way, and he looked across at the other doorways. Both of them-and the stairway he had used to access the chamber-were now guarded by stalfos couples, barricading him inside.

The Death Sword was upon him again in that moment of fleeting panic. Link barely missed the blade as it crashed down where he had once stood. He abandoned the option of fighting through the stalfos guards for the fear that if he engaged one they would all descend. Such a battle could not be won. But-perhaps if he defeated their apparent commander, they would disintegrate back into the walls from whence they had come.

Link turned on his heel at that thought, the soulless creature still near. Whipping the Master Sword about in a fanciful fashion, Link grinned. He had also forgotten one very simple fact about his new weapon. _The benevolence to banish evil_, as Princess Zelda had described it. _Evil can never bear to touch it_. If that were true … this Death Sword could be vanquished.

Link had concentrated his energies in that moment, blade flashing brightly. Recalling his final lesson with the shade of the former hero, Link empowered his blade with the energy that now coursed through his veins. Once the Death Sword came upon him again, halfway through its attack, Link swiped his blade toward it. A faint red glimmer shot out from the Master Sword and slammed into the creature. The sensation stunned it, blade rocking unsteadily before it. Link took advantage of its temporary weakness and dashed for it. Unsure how long it would remain docile, he simply sped by it, casting his blade along its side as he ran. Blackened red clumps of fluid drained from its body, reawakening it to the present circumstance.

Screeching, it whipped its sword about and cast it toward Link's retreating frame. Link rolled out of its path and immediately sprang back up, facing it once again. He resisted the urge to use his shield as an extra defense, for it would slow him down and he doubted that its simple metal would protect him from the cursed foe before him.

Link avoided the Death Sword's attacks as they rained upon him. During his defense he took up every opportunity to stun the creature with a wave of red light, thundering down upon its body in his distinctive manner of slashes and thrusts before it regained its stature. It had been close to cutting Link's flesh several times, once tearing a hole in the skirt of his tunic, but it had not yet been able to draw blood.

After several more minutes of chasing after Link, its several bleeding wounds began to take a toll upon its reactions. Its movements were slowing, but in effect, its attacks were becoming more lethal in its desperate need to see its prey writhing in anguish and death. Link took this to his advantage. He feigned to the left, the Death Sword taking the bait eagerly. Just as Link moved in on its opposite side, the dark blade's weight thundered upon the ground. Realizing Link's deception, however, it slashed out with its bony fingers. Having not expected such an attack, Link barely escaped its diseased nails. With no other alternative available, he again switched directions and leapt up onto the dark saber as the creature pulled it from the ground without missing a beat.

He moved swiftly up the blade and hilt, and he ducked when its opposite hand whacked at him, ascending the arm quickly. Though, when it hurled its fingers toward him again, Link was forced to jump off the arm. He had directed his plunge toward its head, roaring mightily as he came down upon its throat. The Master Sword pierced cleanly through the grimy flesh, and blood gurgled from its mouth.

A cloud of black consumed its frame. Link pulled his weapon free and fell to the floor. He shook away the hard landing quickly, afraid that the haze would swallow him as well. Still on his backside, he inched away from the shrieking, flailing figure, scooting back as quickly as his hands and feet would allow. As the darkness devoured the colossal creature, it reeled forward, aiming at Link with a dangerous, pointed hand. However, its fingers found the ground instead, inches away from Link's body.

The darkness pulled at the monster, and its fingernails etched long scratches into the ornate floor. From this, Link realized what had created the markings in the first place. Finally, in an echo as loud as the crash of an ocean tide, the figure burst apart. Black darts were cast about, fluttering wildly, and Link realized that these dark specks were bats. He raised an arm against their beating wings, protecting his face as best he could. Their shattering screeches pounded against the walls as they flew upward, escaping through the opening above.

Link exhaled a relieved breath. As long as he did not encounter another creature as such in the next chambers, he would regain his full strength in no time. Now, however, he had to deal with the stalfos guards. At the memory of them, he sprang to his feet, Master Sword prepared to send more of their soulless bodies to the darkness of the netherworld.

But the corridors were empty.

Thankful but rather confused, Link continued cautiously. Perhaps they had gone, or perhaps they had hidden to ambush him. Whatever the case, he could not leave without Midna. He looked about at every shadow, but none seemed to hold the presence of his imp partner. He called out her name with no response.

His heart sank. Had the Death Sword hit her with one of its attacks?

Just then a figure descended from the ceiling's opening. Link assumed a battle stance, but Midna's familiar voice rang out from the shadow. "Well, it looks like that central chamber is just ahead," she pointed to the stairway that pointed upward. "A few more rooms and I think we'll be there."

Link nodded, but he did not allow his relief to consume him completely. There were still those missing stalfos that he had a feeling he would need to deal with eventually. He started for the steps just as Midna added, "Good job, by the way."

He continued on with a smirk. "Not bad yourself," he returned.

Once they had ascended the darkened stairway, they came to a torch lit room that appeared to have no further paths branching off from it. At first, Link had looked to Midna for confirmation, but she expressed again that the chamber with the spires had been directly in front of them. Shrugging, Link inspected the room closer, finding that this chamber, too, was symmetrical in that there were indentations for three other passages. However, solid stone doors, which blended into the coloring of the wall, blocked each of them. There were no handles, no switches … no apparent way of opening them.

Link removed one of the torches for better light and swept about the room, searching for anything that might be a clue as to how to gain entrance to the passages. The floor was not partly torn apart as the rest of the rooms. No secret lay there. He looked to the walls then, running his hands across its surface. He hoped that this was not a dead end … hoped that they would not have to return to previous rooms to find another path that circled around to some other entrance to the chamber beyond.

Behind the door would be the Mirror of Twilight. Link could feel it. There had to be a way to-

Was it really that simple?

Link's hand raked over something on the wall near the door he and Midna needed. Sand and dirt covered some kind of circle and rod. He handed the torch to Midna, who poured its light onto the area as Link rubbed his hand over it. Certain that he had stumbled upon the answer, he cleared away the grime, revealing a lever mechanism. There were three notches along the slit that housed the lever other than the niche in which it currently rested. Unsettled at the possibilities of what this switch could do, he argued with himself. It could activate a trap, but it could also open the door in front of them. It was worth the risk.

Holding his breath he moved the lever down one notch. The entire room seemed to rumble as dust around the top and bottom edges of the circular wall spilled out into the room. However, instead of causing some terrible ambush, the door they had come through closed while the door at the east opened up. As the powder settled, Link and Midna wheezing out the coarse grit, Link realized the ingenuity that had gone into constructing this room. There was a drum on the inside of the wall that the switch operated, closing three doors at a time. If Link was correct in his prediction that the Mirror lay beyond this point, this mechanism would have ensured the guards that any criminal to be banished to the netherworld could not have escaped their fate by disappearing back into the maze of the grounds.

Link pulled the lever down to the third notch and held his breath as the drum shifted once more, opening the northern door and sealing him and Midna off from a quick retreat. Link regained the torch from Midna, and they peered into the passage that would lead them into the Mirror Chamber. However, the room beyond owned a massive staircase that spiraled about the wall, reminiscent of the one within Hyrule Castle, yet the height of the steps reached far above.

With no other path available to them, Link shrugged and moved into the room to begin the ascent. After nearly a half hour, Link had struggled his way up the steps, not daring a look below. His feet panged in resentment, but no matter their pain, he had to admit that it had been worth the exerting effort. The Mirror would be close at hand now. The last leg of his journey awaited….

At the summit a conduit led into another circular room … but no portal of any kind was visible. Instead, the huge room was filled with the eerie blue torchlight that they had first seen within the tomblike prison, the circumference lined with columns. A deepening sand pit consumed the middle of the chamber. Curious, Link approached the edge of the hollow and peered down. At the bottom there lay a prone skeletal structure of a giant beast long dead.

_At least it's already dead._ Link breathed a sigh of relief. Its hands were five times as large as him, and-if its four long horns were taken out of the calculation-the head appeared to be only slightly smaller than the massive ribcage that lay broken above a spine that also seemed shattered into many pieces. What the creature's lower half looked like, Link would never know, for the sand had blanketed the rest of its bones.

None of it mattered, though, for Link could see that in its state, it would not be like the undead skeletons and redeads that roamed the grounds. This monster had died a very long time ago, and it was no longer a threat to anyone.

Link noticed an opening high above on a second level. A draft eased into the room, and Link realized that the door was open to the outside. This had to be the way into the Mirror Chamber. He took in the room in its entirety, contemplating how he was to reach the doorway.

"You still live…." a strangely pitched voice uttered.

Link tightened his grip upon his sword, searching the room for the source. The voice was too familiar for comfort … that sticky tone of darkness.

"No wonder some of this land call you _hero_."

Link found the voluminous robes of the helmeted figure standing upon the head of the giant, dead creature. Zant.

"You…." Link's voice trailed away in anger. The memory of how the Twilight King had cursed him resurfaced along with a dose of the agony he had felt.

"A bittersweet reunion, I assure you," the dark voice spat. Then a laugh gurgled from beyond the metallic veil. "I fear this is the last time I will see you alive." He spread his arms wide, calling upon the powers he had been granted. As his bony hands drew closed, a red ball of energy formed between his fingers, darkening outward from the center of the mass. A blade appeared within his hands, symbols upon its blade glowing in a magenta hue just as that of the Death Sword.

With one powerful thrust, Zant imbedded the dark blade into the forehead of the enormous skull, and a wave of red twilit etchings swam across its entirety. Just as the symbols faded once more, Zant turned away with a short, low chortle and disappeared in a vapor of black specks. Link and Midna remained silent for a moment, watching the skeleton closely.

The ground began to grumble, the sands shifting, the walls quaking. A frightful scarlet glow infested the hollowed eyes of the skull. They were lifeless sockets no more. The neck arched as all its splintered bones reassembled themselves, and the skull lifted before them, mouth gaping wide with two long fangs and rows of smaller, broken teeth. Its spine cracked loudly as it righted itself, yet it was unable to lift completely from the pit; the weight of the sand crushing the opposite half of its body was too strong.

No matter. It seemed deadly enough. It placed its large hands upon the sand and an impossible low growl sounded. It arched its spine, testing its reacquired flexibility. Link tried to work through to a solution even as skeleton troops clothed in decaying armor began to infest the pit, rising up from the sands. Some also crowded around the room … and there was a noticeable cluster at one end of the room.

_Perhaps there's another lever there that operates a way up to the Mirror Chamber_, Link thought quickly. Nevertheless, he would need to deal with the Skeleton Commander-the Stal_lord_, Link supposed-in order to reduce the troops to the grit that had been there existence. No matter how much he preferred to keep his distance, Link's only option in accomplishing this would be to remove Zant's blade somehow. It was not going to be an easy battle to overcome … not if he wanted to remain in one piece anyway.

Link tossed away the torch since the blue fires and the rays of the moon were sufficient sources of light and prepared for battle. He stepped lightly along the edge of the pit, learning how the Stallord moved. Though it had already understood Link as its only enemy, it could not reach him. Instead, a bubbling growl emanated from somewhere within its hairy neck, and a spout of violet fog erupted from its giant maw. It bore down instantly upon Link-who veiled his face with his cloak as it clouded in his vicinity. It choked and attacked his eyes and skin. The spew burned him without fire, and Link raced away from its haze, seeking cleaner air.

Just as Link managed to clear most of the dark mist, the wind had already begun to assail it, driving it back, snuffing it out with its purer scent. Coughing out the last of its filthy residue, Link refocused his attention. He had lost Midna in the fog, but as he had learned with their encounter with the Death Sword-and so many other occasions before-she would be able to handle herself. Right now, the best thing for both their sakes would be to deal with the skeletal monster before the wind could no longer combat its bile.

As Link tested the sands in the pit with a careful foot-minding that none of the troops neared him-he learned that his full weight would lead to his imminent death if he remained within its pool too long. It was not exactly quicksand, but its unstable quality did little to ease his mind. How would he even reach Stallord to sever the evil magic from its dead body?

Then he heard a constant whipping of metal, as if someone were shaking a chain. However, its beats sounded as if they made contact with something. He removed his foot from the sand to look up-and just in time. The source of the strange sound had come from some spinning device sweeping around the circumference of the pit. A rim attached it to a groove on the inside edge. A second rim, set below the first, consisted of a thick, sharp blade that seemed to keep the device in motion, moving it along the circle. Two more-set in place by a pair of stalfos-joined the first.

Link was initially astonished that such mechanisms could be found within the prison, yet as he looked back on everything else they had encountered, these spinners were nothing less that he truly expected. Another obstacle in front of his path.

Or _were_ they obstacles?

Link grinned. The center of the flattened tops did not circulate at their outside counterparts, and they seemed just wide enough for-

Just as another jet of blackened sick shot for him, Link-timing his step correctly-hopped onto a spinner as it passed by. His unexpected weight knocked it free from its cycle, and Link was thankful that latches were apart of its surface design. He linked his fingers around one of these, knees bent. He used the swing of his hips to direct the spinner, and surprisingly it did not sink below the sands. Its tottering movements and wide, arching turns did not take Link long to become accustomed to, but the troops that surrounded the Stallord made his maneuvering difficult. He was often forced to ram into them, slashing their zombielike bodies at the knees and rendering them to the sands.

Every time Link lost momentum, he coasted the spinner back up to the edge, slamming the spinner's double rim back into the grooves, the bottom rejuvenating its speed. His newly acquired tactic kept him one step ahead of the troops and Stallord's hands and spray, but this also forced him to think quicker. Improvisation had taken hold of his strategy at the moment, for his only avenue he had thought to pursue had been to reach its head. The only way he could do so was either by ascending its flailing hands or its spine which was well guarded by lines of troops. Yet that alone enticed Link-just as their wall cluster had. If they were protecting something, odds were good that it would serve to Link's advantage.

Again dislodging himself from the edge, he zoomed toward the group around the spine, dodging Stallord's hands and stray troops when necessary. Link went through a rigorous workout in chopping down a few zombie guards at a time, regaining speed, and reentering the field over the course of long minutes before there was finally an opening in their barrier.

Coming in for the last time-he hoped-he avoided the walking dead and the swipes that Stallord made for him, aiming straight through the path in the defenses that he had carved for himself. Tilting his body at the hips, he spun past the last of the guards, arching in to the left to reach the spine. The colossal form intimidated Link for a split moment, considering the climb he would have to survive while it tossed about with him upon its frame.

Regardless, just as Link neared the beast, he pushed off the spinner. He thrust his sword into a vertebra, and disregarded the roar of anger and pain that echoed from Stallord. Link hugged close to the spine, holding fast to his hilt that kept him lodged in place. Once the greater half of the beast's writhing subsided, Link began to ascend its back. After he had gained a firm grip on a crack in a vertebra and two footholds to complement his position, he sheathed his blade and instead drew one of his daggers, the blade of which he use to pierce bone to ensure he would remain affixed to the creature. He navigated across its bones in this manner until he reached its collar. Here he noticed that its nape was overgrown with matted hair, and he used this fur as a device against it, tugging on its strands to pull himself upward.

Stallord's thrashing grew in ferocity at this point, trying its very best to toss Link from its body, but however much it struggled, it could not shed him free. At last, Link managed to reach the summit of its mane, and he waited until its head was parallel to the floor again before sprinting across its skull. He partly dove for the hilt of Zant's blade just as it reared its head back completely. Link held fast to the weapon as his body dangled toward the ground. The sight of the staring troops below startled him. What if he were to fall into their eyeless grasp?

He shook the though away, and as his body again stood firm upon the wavering head, he jerked at the blade. It had been driven deep into the skull, but Link could not turn back now. This was his only option. He tugged at the sword, sheathing his dagger so that he could attack its evil with both hands, and it started to ease out of its cranium. It seemed to Link that pain should have been impossible to a beast made entirely of bone, but remembering how it had growled at the touch of his blade, he accepted that the removal of Zant's sword was dealing an immeasurable amount of suffering to it-no matter the unnaturalness of its life.

Just as Link managed to wrestle the long blade free, Stallord had reared its head. Without the sword to keep him attached to its head, Link was tossed into the air. He seemed to hover in midair for a moment, but gravity soon became greedy and stole his body once more, sucking him back toward the distant ground. During his descent the dark blade dissipated into black specks of nothingness. Link could see the troops below withering, disintegrating into the sands, their watery gurgling chilling his spine as equally as the wind slapping at his clothes and body as he fell.

Stallord's red plagued eyes began to drain of color once more, and its bony structure fell along with Link, its mass carrying it down heavier and dangerously faster. Landing on the sand would be one threat, but now that Link was also faced with helplessly falling where gravity deposited him…. He did not much like the idea of an even harder landing.

Just as Stallord's arms crunched into the pit, Link's descent stopped at last. However, his left side had smashed into a bone of one of its forearms. An awkward crack sounded and bounced him away from the site, and he cried out at the shattering pain of the impact. His body finally came to rest a few meters away, face up. Winded and struggling with a smart that he was too dizzy to comprehend, he lay there, sprawled, watching dazedly as Stallord's head came crashing down. He managed to regain half his senses to crawl out from under its dive just in time. Its smaller teeth splintered upon its collision, flying out in all directions.

As the dust settled, Link looked down from the ceiling to see the head only inches away from his diagonal left. Sighing in relief he cast his glance about. All the troops were eliminated, but what of those stalfos he had seen deploying the spinners?

It seemed that in the shuddering end to Stallord, the quake had dislodged the spinners, which had been crushed by the monstrosity. But where were-

"So…" came the clicking voice of Midna. She loomed before his vision just then, hanging parallel above him.

"You—"

"—have managed to get rid of the stalfos while you bested the beast," she giggled, and she moved to hover next to him. "And once those troops were out of the way, I pulled the switch they were guarding, and poof!" She smirked, as she pointed toward a small spiral staircase made of brittle stones leading up to the opening. "We have our way out! Now, get up, hero."

Had she not seen him fall? His bones were killing him. He could barely move at the moment, every muscle within him still trembling from the pain of the fall. He was not exactly sure if he _could_ get up, and his grimace at an attempt immediately wiped the smirk from Midna's face. "Link? Are you all right?"

"I… don't know," he winced. "Just give me a minute." He closed his eyes, trying to take in the pain and breathe it out again. And though his body seemed to quiet its raging screams with each exhale, his left wrist pulsed.

He managed to sit up, the ache in his back receding in time, but when he placed his hands on the ground to push himself up, he screamed out. He looked to his immovable left hand and realized-from its awkward position and his inability to move his fingers without sharp pains erupting at the attempts-that it was broken. He bit back another cry of pain, holding his forearm in his opposite hand.

"Link?" Midna's voice congested with concern when she realized the cause of his pain.

"It's all right. I'm all right," he assured through gritted teeth. He managed to rise to his feet and readjusted his legs to the idea of standing, leaning against the head of Stallord. "Let's go," he said at last.

When Midna nodded and turned away, however, Link released a wince, moaning silently. He shook back the cloak from his left shoulder to view the source of another wound. A small piece of bone that had cracked away from one of Stallord's teeth had impaled his flesh. Fighting back a squeal of torture, he ripped the fragment away as gently as he could and tossed it to the sands, dripping with blood. Link measured the severity of the injury, and so that Midna could not see how much he had truthfully endured, he jerked his cloak back over it, wrapping it over his left forearm as well as it lay in his palm.

Thus, he trudged on, tailing behind Midna … uncertain that his true confrontation with the Twilight King would end in his favor now.


	29. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27: Tales of the Demon Thief**

Link and Midna emerged from the prison and continued through a series of steps along the outside perimeter of the Mirror Chamber. From what Link remembered upon viewing this section from the dunes, they were circling about the exterior of a coliseum structure. He could see the desert and the encampment below through the breaks in the stone where the archways were located. But he did not linger on the sight, stepping over missing stones carefully. Once they reached the end of the steps they turned inward to the left. An enclosed, circling aisle led back along the same path; however, it did not recede downward. Instead-as Link and Midna discovered-it led to an open arena.

Six grand columns spread symmetrically along the topmost level reached toward the heavens. Each was capped by towering golden rods that held what Link had come to realize was the royal family's crest at the top. The eagles of each pillar held a stone disc within their wings, all carved differently. Some of them were cracked with age, but their mysticism remained. Link's attention was drawn to the white chains leading downward from the base of each gold spire. They connected at a central point within the chamber, elevating a massive black slab of stone. Midna's interest, however, had caught the glint that shined at the summit of a dais in the center of the arena.

Midna started for the stone platform, ascending its stairs as Link noticed the sparkle that had drawn her in. Link pursued her, even more tentative at the thought of travelling to the Twilight Realm in his condition.

When he heard Midna gasp, he had just stepped onto the base of the stairs. Alerted to possible danger, Link drew out a dagger and raced up to the top of the platform. Yet there were no threats to be found, and-barely any mirror….

The mirror sat comfortably in its perch, but its shimmering surface had been severed. A large chunk of it remained, but at least three-quarters of its silver had been cracked away. There were no slivers of glass upon the dais, no trace of what had become of the missing sections. Midna now sat at the base of the mirror, staring up at it with a hate-filled eye. Desperation crept into her gaze, and Link understood how she felt.

With the mirror broken, they could not travel the void that would bring them into her realm. Not only could they not pursue Zant...

Midna could likely never return to her home.

Just as Link sheathed his dirk, a glowing brightness began to shine down upon them. With sunrise still hours away, he grew puzzled and gazed upward. There above him and Midna, standing upon the crest directly before them, was a white figure. Its body was cloaked in a very faint golden gleam, heavy robes billowing from its frame. Three halos were suspended above its head, each progressively larger than the last. Four other bodies appeared above their respective spires, only one remaining darkened. All of their faces were masked, hollowed eyes seemingly unseeing and yet pouring into Link. The only distinction between them was the soft color that radiated from their illuminated white bodies. Red, green, violet, and orange.

Midna finally looked up at them when collective voices spoke, trying to separate her anger from her curiosity. "A dark entity lurks in the twilight. It houses an evil power."

"You who are guided by fate. You who possess the crest of the goddesses…. Hear us," the red-tinted form pleaded in a deep voice.

A firm voice boomed from the glimmering violet shape, its hand resting over its chest, "At the command of the goddesses, we sages have guarded the Mirror of Twilight since ancient times."

"You seek it," the softer tone of the emerald seemed to whisper, "but the Mirror of Twilight has been fragmented by mighty magic."

The next-outlined by an orange hue-raised its arms wide, and its majestic voice added, "That magic is a dark power that only he possesses…."

Link and Midna turned to the last of these ancient sages, supposing that somehow their thoughts were intertwined, their memories of the times long past mingled together. The golden sage's head was bowed, as if lamenting that past. With one wicked word, its strong voice sent chills up Link's already aching back. "Ganondorf."

Their voices quieted to hums; Link tried to digest what it was exactly that these beings were telling him. _Crest of the goddesses_, Link thought. His left hand seemed to burn in their presence and the mention of the creators-either that or the numbness in his broken appendage was demanding his attention. Sages? Protectors? Who were these beings? And who was this Ganondorf? The name seemed strangely familiar to him, like remembering the sensation of a dream without being able to recall its events.

Link posed his question to the mystical sages.

"He was the leader of a band of thieves who invaded Hyrule in the hopes of establishing dominion over the Sacred Realm," the orange one began. "He was known as a demon thief, an evil-magic wielder renowned for his ruthlessness. But he was blind…."

The amethyst sparkle continued. "In all of his fury and might, he was blind to any danger, and thus was exposed, subdued, and brought to justice."

"Yet," the weary tone of the golden figure breathed, "by some divine prank, he, too, had been blessed with the chosen power of the gods."

This news startled Link. How many times had he been called _Hero chosen by the gods…_? Now this man, this demon of a thief, had been chosen for divine powers? How could a heart so apparently foul be granted such a gift?

"Our duty was to execute the demon," the voice of the body cloaked in red echoed. "His body was pierced with the blade of the sages, but … the Power he then held was too great, and he lashed out against one of our own."

"We called upon the power of the Mirror," the violet being recollected, "to banish him to the Twilight Realm."

"His abiding hatred and lust for power turned to purest malice." The orange figure, as well as the rest of the sages wept for the passing of their comrade … and for their failure.

"And perhaps that evil power has now been passed on to Zant," the greenish sage pondered aloud.

Midna sat inside the rounded base of the mirror, barely paying any mind to the sages now. "You're just now figuring out where Zant got his power? It's far too late." Her tone dripped with disgust at their ignorance. Link turned to her, questions within his silent gaze, astounded that she apparently had knowledge of all these facts.

Link remembered how similar the blades of Zant and the Death Sword had been, and he had concluded that the soulless beings infesting the grounds were widely spoken of in her world, the netherworld … the Twilight Realm. He had understood how Midna could have had knowledge of their kind … but to know of the Demon Thief these sages spoke so carefully and concernedly of…. What other secrets did Midna hide knowingly from him?

Link sank to his knees, lost in thought, trying everything to keep his mind from lingering on his pulsating wrist and shoulder.

"But…" another voice-that of the orange sage-resumed, "only the true leader of the Twili can utterly destroy the Mirror of Twilight. Zant could merely break it into pieces."

A true mark of a usurper. True power was earned not stolen.

Link saw a frown appear across Midna's slanted lips. Deciphering her thoughts, however, was an entirely different matter.

"Once touched by Zant's magic," the golden sage said, breaking through Link's musings, "the Mirror of Twilight broke into fragments, which even now lie hidden across the land of Hyrule."

_Hidden... So, this truly is not the end of my journey. Yet again I must set off._ The sages' filled Link with a kind of sorrow. All that he had been through had been to reach this moment, and now … to finally stand at the gate into the Twilight Realm and be unable to travel any farther…. A hollow pit formed inside his stomach. The people of Hyrule would have to suffer even longer as they waited for Link to find the missing pieces of the mirror. But how would he even continue in this state? He could feel his blood still draining from his shoulder, but if he applied pressure to it … Midna would realize the full extent of his pain.

Though, was his pride so unstable that he could not even show vulnerability to his constant companion?

The collective hum of the sages woke Link once more to the present circumstances. "You who have been sent by the goddesses. Gather the shards and enter here once again. But beware. A dangerous power resides in those fragments."

As their voices receded into the darkness, their bodies slowly faded as well, becoming one with the dimension in which they dwelled once more. Link looked down from where they had once encircled him and Midna, eyeing the ground a little too interestedly as he thought over these new tidings. Perhaps it was this wondering gaze that drew Midna's fullest attention.

"So, Link. It looks like we're off to gather pieces of the mirror now," she said, resentment clearly definable within her tone. She pushed herself up from her seat and started down the stairs.

Perhaps Link had been expected to follow, but he could not bring himself to even lift his head.

Midna stopped to look back at him when she realized his footsteps did not pursue her. "Come on, Link. Don't tell me we can enter by night but not leave by it." But her frustration died away when he did not react to her words. He did not even shift. The void stare in his eyes drew her attention then, realizing that even if he had heard her, he could not bring himself to a response.

"Link?" She started back for him.

When he finally spoke, she was only a few paces from him. "I thought … this would be the end of my journey…."

"Well, so did I," she returned. "You don't see me stopping, though, do you?" Link tilted his head away slightly. She recognized that he had been insulted or hurt at her remark, and she released an apologetic sigh. She had never done much in the way of comforting others in her life, and it seemed that her lack of experience now took its revenge on her. Everything had always been her way.

"I don't know if I _can_ go on," Link admitted quietly. Midna just listened. "I feel like I am getting weaker. With every battle, my injuries grow more severe." He grimaced at his left wrist, and Midna followed his gaze.

"Bones can be mended," she tried. _As this mirror needs to be,_ she finished in her head, mentally slapping herself for such a one-sided thought.

Link huffed in aggravation-but whether it was directed at her or the situation, she could not tell. "Midna, this is my sword arm. It will take weeks-perhaps months even-to heal properly. I'm not as practiced with my right."

"Then we'll take a short rest-"

"A short rest isn't-" Link's breath stopped short, his frustration triggering his shoulder wound to seethe with a sharp pain. "Unless by some miracle-" he tried, but that, too, trailed away as his breath caught.

"Link, what's-?" She noticed how he had stopped his hand from moving to his left, and realized he was hiding something. She took the last steps toward him, and that was when she saw the red stain overtaking his cloak. Link met her gaze when she looked up to him. His face was ashen and his eyes drooped against his will. She went to uncover his shoulder, but his hand shot straight for it and stopped her.

"It's nothing," he assured.

"You bleeding is nothing?" Midna bore her tooth when she frowned at him. "We need to get back, get you fixed up."

The pain in his wrist had become quite numb now, as had his shoulder … but he could still feel how both sapped him of energy. "Those fragments could be anywhere," he said at last.

Midna took a moment to consider what she could say to convince him that this was the only way to truly defeat Zant … and the master of his power, Ganondorf. If she was to succeed in ripping them both from the thrones of the light and twilight, then she needed Link. Needed his courage in the face of battle. Needed the courage that still resided somewhere in his heart.

She could only think of one thing to say.

"What is the one vow you swore to keep?" she asked, and Link focused on her tiny frame, staring into her red eye. "If you falter … what did you say you would do?"

Link's gaze turned inward in that moment, and Midna could see his mind working, could see the fire in his soul breathing naturally again.

It took many long moments, but Link finally took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. He closed his eyes, trying to purge the pain in that breath. "To pick myself back up."

Link nodded and opened his eyes. Holding tight to his forearm, he pushed up on his knees, standing tall once again before Midna. He stumbled for a moment, dizzy from his wounds, but Midna was there to hold him steady. She hovered at his side, pleased that she had helped Link keep his oath. There were people counting on them to cast away the dark evil clouding the world … both their realms.

Midna let go of his arm after Link nodded that the spell had passed. He started down the steps then, looking back briefly at his imp companion. _How you've changed, Midna…._

She caught sight of his feeble smile before he turned away again. Content with herself but also puzzled at how awkward their conversation had made her feel … she moved on silently behind him.

===============

Night had escaped to bring the sun, and Link battled through the intense heat of the beams and the dry sand. Midna hovered alongside him, and though affected by the heat, her senses had not yet been lost to it. However, the extreme warmth had begun to tug at Link's eyes, blurring his vision. The amount of blood that had escaped him since his battle with Stallord was truly beginning to take its effect on him. With his water now depleted, Link's lips had begun to crack, for he had been walking steadily for hours with no promise of a cool liquid to soothe him. His breaths soon came in rasps, the pain in his shoulder worsening.

But-he clasped his hand to it and continued on.

He could remember the heat of the Goron Mines clearly now and how the constant throb of the warmth about him had seemed to crush in upon him. His skin smoldered under the sun just as it had then within those cavernous mines, but this time-even compared to his first trek through the desert-the heat attacked him more brutally.

His mind began to fog, the haze at the corners of his eyes sinking inward upon the entire plain of his sight. Link halted for a moment to catch his breath, stumbling a bit as his feet came to rest. He panted in a wave of burning air. What he would not give for a drink….

"Link, you're almost there," encouraged Midna.

Link looked ahead and in all directions he could see no marker as to whether he was getting closer to his destination. Sure, the prison was fixed miles and miles away but he could not surmise if he still walked in the correct direction back toward Hyrule. Squinting, he cast his gaze ahead. No rocks or mountains of any kind assailed his vision.

_We should at least be able to see them by now_…. Link calculated. The thought of having lost his way bit at his muscles hard. If he had indeed gotten turned around in the desert, there was no means of reacquiring his sense of direction. An unsettling discomfort lodged itself into his chest that tried to tell him that he was going to die out there. _No, I will find my way. Just ahead._ Link continued to repeat. _Just over the next dune…._

Midna's words had just been her attempt at reassuring him that his torment would not last forever. He just had to keep going.

He placed a foot forward to renew his pace, but as he did so, his leg gave from underneath him. He crashed down softly in the sand, rolling off the dune to the side.

"Link!" Midna swam through the air after his tumbling body.

His body came to a halt at the base of the large dune, gritty sand covering the length of him. Midna approached him slowly, concern dripping across her features. "Link?" She stood at the side of his body, which lay facedown in the golden pebbles. She pushed at his body with all her strength and managed to flip him onto his side. Though his body remained still, his eyes were open slits, unfocused.

"Link? Are you all right?" she tried.

His answer came in a mumble but he could find no strength to repeat it. As his eyes closed against his will, the last thing he could hear was the distorted tone of Midna's voice. "Link … you have to get up…."

===============

Darkness had clotted the sky … had clustered around him and made everything else slip away. In the black of the desert, coldness had settled over the wasteland, the sand long turned frigid after its source of life and heat had disappeared from the horizon.

Link opened his eyes-barely able to open them a crack-when he heard something move. The blurred image before him resembled a face. "Midna?" His voice crackled, both from his dry mouth and the chill that freshly struck him. The visage, though, did not have the same distinctive features as the imp. He soon recognized a human skin tone and flowing, silvery green hair.

His eyes adjusted to the harsh darkness, and he could distinguish the appearance of a woman above him, defined by perfect feminine curves. A beautiful sash dressed her thighs and the long tresses of shining emerald hair covered her chest. Wings that seemed of the purest silk, so delicate, expanded behind her, layered in so many angles that it was as if their length enveloped her and Link within another world entirely.

_Have I died?_ Link asked himself. _Am I with the gods now?_

The woman sat next to him then, her wrap and wings billowing outward from her movement. The bangle upon her arm jingled when she lifted her hand to his forehead.

"Rest your weary heart, traveler," her angelic sing-song voice offered.

Either having succumbed completely to his exhaustion or having been soothed by her melodic, voice, Link's eyes once again closed, and he knew nothing more of the harsh desert to which he had fallen victim.

===============

When he next opened his eyes, Link mistook the harsh light that bombarded him as that of the sun. Immediately, a blurry image entered his sight, moving rapidly. Mumbled tones rang through his ears and threatened to steal his sense, the panging of the noise resounding deep within his head. But then-just as quickly as it had attacked him-the sounds and sight vanished completely.

His eyes began to focus, taking in crude objects that he could make out by their hazed outlines. A dresser in the corner, a chair sitting near to his horizontal body, and an unveiled window. He lifted his right hand to cover his eyes from the blinding spectacle, mind pulsing. He looked down to the sheets blanketing him. Blood stains were plenty upon their once crisp texture, which made his vision dart directly toward his bare shoulder-skin that no longer remained marked by the battle with Stallord. Bandages dyed by the same scarlet hue were bundled up in a wash basin in the floor under the window.

Yet just then the cheery face of the redheaded Telma strode into where he lay confused. "You finally awake honey? Good to see. You've been out ever since Auru brought you back," she said brightly as if he had never been in any danger-as if a son had simply overstayed his welcome at a friend's house, obligating the father to bring him home.

"Auru?" asked Link, still overcoming the hazy whiteness that now receded from his eyes.

She sat down next to him in the chair. "That's right. That Auru waited a day less than you two had agreed on. He and Rusl set out to the desert and it took them about a day till they found you, just lying there in the sand, he said," she said. "Took them another day to get you back, and you were covered in blood!"

_How long was I out?_ he mumbled within his mind. He could only remember that it had been day when he had collapsed in the sand. His mind was too fogged to work out the days for himself, so he left the question for the moment. There was only one person who would have been able to give him an accurate answer.

"So, was that doctor here?" asked Link, and though he did not exactly like the idea of such a grumpy old man treating him, he needed a convincing explanation as to why his wound was no longer present.

"Old Borville?" she asked. "Why would you need a doctor? You might have had all that blood covering you, but when Auru checked you, there was nary a scratch on you."

Taken aback at this unreasonable statement, Link looked to his left wrist-but found that he could once again move all the fingers without any flare of pain within his nerves. Confusion had begun to overpower him, and Telma stared at him with a suspicious yet curious gaze. Without anything to explain how his injuries had been healed-and not particularly wishing to waste time in telling Telma how he had been wounded in the first place-Link pushed aside the thoughts and focused on the present.

"Where are my things?" Link asked groggily, rubbing a hand against his head.

Telma stood up and pointed toward an assortment of items. "Your weapons are there," she indicated where his sword, shield, and bow leaned against the opposite wall, surrounded by his other possessions. "And your clothes are on the dresser. They've been washed and patched, and-"

"Who-?" Link's question was cut off by the onset of another throb of pain in his head, but Telma understood quite clearly.

"Auru, honey," she smiled. "I think he felt responsible for more or less guiding you into that deathtrap of a desert. He fixed your clothes, washed you up, and he's been up to check on you nearly every half hour since he brought you back."

"So … he was the one up here-before?"

"No, that was Shad," she said with a short chuckle. "Trying to be helpful."

When Link tried sitting up, Telma gently shoved him back down. "No. You still need a little rest. But when you get to feeling better, you get dressed and come down for something to eat. I daresay you haven't eaten well in the week you've been gone." She gave him a wink and a pat on the shoulder, and she was off toward the doorway. Though, she peeked back in a moment later, and called over to him. "Oh, and Link? Be sure to thank Auru, okay?"

Link nodded and she left-without returning moments later for another word.

It was that instant that Midna peeled herself from the shadow in the corner of the room. Something within Link was glad to see her alive and well, and he had to admit, he was getting rather attached to that crooked smiled she wore so often. "It's about time you woke up," she snorted.

Link hummed out his mind's bleariness through a moan. "How long was I out?"

"Nearly three days." At his expression, she explained. "That old man didn't find us-or you rather-until the day after you collapsed. We got back into town last evening."

"And my wounds?" he asked, after settling his mind.

Midna paused, her eyes fogging instantly, but within the same moment she overcame whatever uncertainty there had been in her. "Your miracle happened." His puzzled look demanded a more thorough explanation. "It was a woman, a fairy."

_A fairy? In the middle of the desert?_ Link mused. He remembered the fables he had read as a boy, about magical fairies that enchanted some parts of the world. But from all the drawings he had seen of their mythical kind had exposed them as little balls of fluff with wings to the naked eye. The only mention of a feminine figure in the wayfaring tales he had heard had been linked to the single supposed sighting of what an older man had called the Great Fairy, an angelic woman said to be queen of their kind. In the old man's story it had been written that he had been injured and dying of thirst-when a woman had appeared and healed him.

Link waggled his fingers, a slight grin on his face. He did not need any more rest.

He rose from his bed and began dressing. He paused after he had slipped into his leggings, noticing the stitches and the absence of blood and dirt on his tunic and white shirt. The garbs had seen so much war, and he wondered if one day he, too, would pass on these clothes to a new hero. He frowned at first but a smile burned through his discomforting thoughts of future catastrophes. The days would pass as they were meant to. As for now … he had to worry about what his days would bring.

After having pulled on his hat, clothes and chainmail hugging him tightly, he donned his cloak once more and reequipped his armors and weapons. He turned to a patiently waiting Midna who hovered near the window, peering out its open glass and listening to the murmurs of the collective voice of the crowds in the town. He wondered if she was homesick in that moment, lost in memories of what the buzzing crowds in the Twilight Realm sounded like in comparison.

Whatever her thoughts, she noticed his gaze then and understood. They were ready to head out in search of the missing mirror pieces. She hopped into Link's shadow. The metal slabs stapled to the soles of his boots clanked as he headed out of the room, covering his forehead with the hood of his cloak. He could only hope that Auru or any of the others had not seen the faint mark of the beast upon his skin.

When Link entered the bar scene below, he was greeted by a few stinking, drunk Hylian guards and a few other men and women waving tankards in their hands. In the distance Telma noticed his presence and stepped over to him from the Group's usual table. "Honey, what're you doing out of bed already?"

"Really, I'm fine," he assured, sidestepping her bulk. If he were to receive any kind of information-possible places to search-he would need to ask the Group some hopefully not so conspicuous questions.

Telma narrowed her gaze, stepping behind the bar to attend to an entering patron. She was not entirely convinced, but he did seem to be all right for the most part.

Rusl was the first to acknowledge Link's presence, offering him a chair. "Link, good to see you about. I'll get you some food."

Glad for the offer, Link seated himself with the other members opposite Auru and tried his best to stay the hungry growl of a belly that had not eaten properly in several days. It seemed that the old man was the only one among them that thought Link's half-hidden visage bore scrutiny. Yet, if he knew the reason for this, he said nothing on the matter. Instead, he directed his conversation to the desert. "Tell me then, Link … did you find what you were looking for in the Arbiter's Grounds-that prison?"

Why was it whenever Link was asked a question of his travels he always felt compelled to either refuse an answer or reply in vague details? Was it that he did not trust those who questioned him … or that he simply did not wish to see them harmed by the information?

Link tried to ignore this of himself, though. Auru and the others were of the same cause-to help banish the evil in Hyrule. Would it not harm them to _not_ know the details? If they continued stumbling blindly on, without an inclination as to what was truly going on….

Link finally answered-just as Rusl placed a plate of assorted food before him. "Yes."

Auru's slouched posture suddenly became quite the opposite. He leaned against the back of his chair, taking in Link's shaded eyes. "Did you use it?"

Link took a small sip of water from the mug Telma slid toward him, and she took up a stance leaning against the wall as Rusl sat back down. "It has been fragmented."

"But you said that this mirror was protected, Auru," interrupted Shad, having been immersed in the scribbles of his book until now.

Link took a bite of a lump of bread, chewing and swallowing it gratefully. He supposed they had all spoken further about the desolate prison-the Arbiter's Grounds-after Link had bade them farewell.

"Yes, this news surprises and concerns me," Auru returned. "The six sages that watch over it once served the royal family. They were once appointed as tutors to the young Princess Zelda. It was from them that I first heard tales of the accursed mirror."

"Five," Link corrected after having bitten a slice of cheese, and he suddenly received everyone's full attention. "There are five sages. The sixth was killed."

Auru leaned in on the table. "What?" His eyes were wide, shock spread throughout their dim shine. "You witnessed the murder of a sage?"

Link swallowed and drank down another sip. "No. The five sages appeared before me, and told me-" He paused, unsure if he should reveal their words.

"What did they say?" inquired Rusl.

Link looked round at the others in the Group. Shad was drinking in every word now-possibly for the intent to write down the details of the conversation later. Rusl and Telma waited patiently with unnerved expressions. By the appearance of Ashei-her crossed arms and in comfortable posture-one would think that either her interest or trust in what Link said wavered.

It was then Link decided to give them truth. He needed their cooperation. He needed whatever information they had or could obtain. Beating around the honest reality of what was happening would not move things along in their favor. He had to acquire the missing pieces of the mirror before anything irreversible happened to their world and that of the twilight.

"What do you know of a man called Ganondorf?" Link asked bluntly, staring straight back into Auru's eyes unflinchingly.

The question seemed to silence the entire bar, for though the merry townsfolk in the other room still spoke, drank, and sang, it was as if the name itself had sucked all life from the Group and Link's ears. It was some time before Auru spoke, stammering. "The sages told you of this man?"

"Once king of a band of thieves, a man who had tried to take the Sacred Realm for himself," reiterated Link. "Yet a man blessed by the gods' power." He cocked his head. "What can you tell me of him?"

Telma had come closer to the table, standing at an angle in which she could clearly see the other occupants as well. This conversation was not one they wanted the two Hylian soldiers overhearing.

Auru's elbows upon the tabletop, he leaned his chin against a set of fingers, his eyes deep in thought and memory. "I have not heard that name spoken aloud for some time. I suppose most Hyruleans know fragments of the old legends, yet I shall tell you what you wish to know. But-" he focused on Link's visage. "-with the mere mention of his name, I can already understand now that his time is again coming. Will you tell us what you know then?"

Link nodded after a moment, and Auru mimicked the gesture, leaning in further. "He was king of the Gerudo thieves, inheriting the title _only_ because he was the only male boy. You see, the Gerudo populated the desert at one time-perhaps they still do somewhere-and they were a race of only women. Every hundred years one boy was born, and that boy would be named king. During Ganondorf's time he became selfish, greedy … lusting for power.

"All this happened in an age long ago, a time wherein the princess of Hyrule begot a vision from the goddesses. In her vision a boy from the forest bearing a spiritual stone would aid her in conquering the dark clouds of Ganondorf." The Group seemed to lean closer together, Auru's story of a time long ago reeling them in. Auru, though, had eyes only for Link, who drank in every word as if it were his life-force.

The wise old man continued, "The day came. A boy came to the princess, and after he proved his identity she told him her fears. You see, Ganondorf's one true desire was to enter the Sacred Realm, and once there, he would take … the Triforce. The princess's scheme was to beat the Gerudo king to the Sacred Realm and in turn prevent him from ever obtaining it."

Link thought back on the words of the sages, how they had said Ganondorf had been blessed by the goddesses.

"However … the boy had a curious tale to tell. He urged that in trying to stop Ganondorf, they would lead him straight to it, that the Evil King would enter the Sacred Realm and obtain the Power of Din, the Power of the Triforce. Only an unbreakable spirit could ever touch the Triforce. One with an imbalanced heart, as Ganondorf's, would cause it to fragment into three parts."

Link could not help himself from interrupting at that point. "So then he succeeded. The sages said that he had been blessed by the chosen power of the gods. That is the Triforce, right?"

Everyone shifted. If Ganondorf possessed the power of the Triforce, even a fragment, then Hyrule was in even graver danger than they had realized or even thought possible.

They all looked to Auru, who was the only one to have taken this news with a calm demeanor. "This news is … troubling…. Let me explain.

"Ganondorf never seized the Power of the Triforce. He was never able to enter the Sacred Realm." Link looked on in confusion. "The princess had believed the boy's story, how the Gerudo king would gain the Triforce because of their interaction, how in seven years time, the world would turn to ash and death at his Power.

"The princess took this news to her father, and, after some convincing, accused Ganondorf, who it was said had come to Hyrule to talk of peace. But from this confrontation, he realized that he would be unable to sneak through the Doors of Time located in Hyrule to enter the Sacred Realm, and thus, he retreated from Hyrule."

Telma sent a gaze toward the door as she heard a soldier getting up to leave the bar, and Rusl shifted in his seat. Shad's eyes were glued to Auru, memorizing every word.

Auru crossed his arms, remembering the tale as it sat heavy within his mind. "But Ganondorf returned to Hryule with an army. There was a long war, but in the end, Ganondorf was captured and brought to justice. You know the rest, Link."

All eyes shifted to the youth, but he still maintained his stare with Auru and those wise, knowing eyes. "The sages executed him. But it was at his death that he finally achieved his one, true desire. He claimed the Power of the Triforce. That is the only way he could have survived," Link realized. "In their panic, the sages' only option was to banish him … to the Twilight Realm."

Auru looked at his wrinkled hands, his eyes fraught with dismay. "And so it is that Ganondorf … is reborn."

"He is the source of the power of Zant, the usurper king of the twilight," informed Link. "Zant may have been the one to cast the pall of shadows across Hyrule, but it has been this demon thief from the beginning. I have to get to the Twilight Realm … and silence them both."


	30. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28: Follow the Reekfish**

"But you said the portal leading to this realm was broken," injected Shad.

"Taking notes were you?" Ashei finally broke in, sarcasm dripping from her words.

Auru looked toward them both. Shaking his head, he returned his concentration to the youth before him, still a boy in his eyes-yet so knowledgeable and obviously skilled. "Shad is correct," he said, directing the statement toward Ashei more than anyone. "How do you plan to invade the other realm if the only way is-?"

"That is why I need your help," he said to the Group, cutting through his question cleanly.

"But, Link, how could we possibly-?" Rusl started.

Again Link sliced through the questions he had known they would ask. "The fragments have been scattered, hidden across Hyrule," he said, taking a sip from his mug before he finished. "I need your help in locating them."

Silence overtook their corner of the tavern, all the members discussing this news by only the reflective gazes that they sent toward each other. Telma watched as her acquaintances exchanged these looks, and frustration shot into her. When it seemed that none of them could give Link a clear answer, her voice flared. "You can't tell me you're considering not helping him?"

Auru met her stare first, "Telma, these pieces could be anywhere. I want to help, but" -he turned to Link- "I just don't know if I can stand by and let you do this. These are dangerous times, and you nearly died out there in the desert wastes! If Ganondorf truly has the power of the Triforce-!"

"He is more than capable, Auru," Telma shot back. "He's not a boy. There are no innocents in Hyrule anymore."

Link leaned back in his chair after having bitten off another strip of cheese. He folded his arms upon his chest, taking in the conversation that enveloped him. Why did they waste time arguing about his involvement? He had faced more challenges during this chaotic period-and survived-than he supposed any of them had. But Link would never mark their courage lower than his. They were all mortals; they could each die at fate's stroke. And he needed their skills now.

After he vaguely heard Auru say something about not letting him risk his life again, Link put an end to their senseless argument. "If you are going to continue debating about it, then I'll just leave in search of them myself. I'd like to get started before it gets too dark."

Though Auru did not seem pleased-especially by Link's casual remark-he nodded after a moment. He looked round the table, and all inclined their heads in agreement. They all believed that they were finally on the cornerstone of vanquishing the evil times to live within the pages of history once more.

"Then where do were begin our search?" asked the bespectacled Shad. Telma and Ashei tossed mildly astonished expressions at him. It was obvious by his appearance that he was not a skilled warrior, but for him to have been the first to offer his knowledge was significant enough for them all to set aside any doubts.

Link turned to Ashei, settling comfortably within his chair once more. "You said earlier that you had been investigating Snowpeak."

The dark-haired soldier leaned back, one arm resting over the back of her seat and the other tapping the wood table. "Yes, I have. I just returned from the mountains this morning actually." Then she dove straight into her findings, pleased that at last Auru had to sit through an explanation as to why she had so obsessively been exploring the situation. "The mountains have become colder than normal ever since Zora's Domain was covered in ice. I asked around the Zoras to see if they had any clues as to the cause. And a few of the Zoras told me a rather weird story." She shifted closer to the table, intent on pressing the importance of what she had heard. "Apparently, there is a beast that lives somewhere on this mountain, and it has been seen frequently in Zora's Domain as of late. I was curious, so I took to one of the cliffs where the beast was said to have been sighted, and I waited. Some hours later a giant appeared."

Ashei dug something from within her armor and pulled out a sheet of folded parchment. "It looked like this." She handed it to Rusl first, who then gave it to Link. In the picture that she had quickly roughed out, there was a tall, white and fluffy beast-man; in one hand, it held something red. Link passed the sketch along to the others-Shad looking excitedly at it before handing it over to Auru.

"This thing's been stealing red fish from the village. I wanted to investigate further, but snow began falling heavily and soon became a blizzard. I couldn't travel in weather like that, so I've come back for now."

"Then I shall continue-"

"If you go into that blizzard without a plan, you'll get lost," she shot back harshly. "And that'll only lead to disaster, trust me. You can return with me tomorrow morning."

Her tone sounded much like a commanding older sister. Link did not much prefer having to wait any longer than he had already from his injuries, but logic overruled him-as did each face of the Group. Link nodded, accepting her invitation for the morrow.

"Well, that's settled then, isn't it?" smiled Telma. "Besides, Link, I expect to see that plate cleaned so that I can pile on second helpings." After a wink she waddled back behind the bar, saying her farewells to an obviously drunken man as he opened the door to leave. Ashei and Auru dispersed from their meeting as well. Rusl drank the last of his mead, and Shad had already gone back to his texts.

Grinning despite their refusal to let him leave, Link returned to his meal, taking a rather healthy bite of buttery bread.

===============

Ashei and Link had prepared for the journey to Snowpeak an hour before sunrise the next day, and by the time they had set off, daybreak had come. Link had lifted his veil once out of the city, and he had jumped when Ashei spoke to him. He had been afraid that the faint mark on his forehead had caught her trained eye; however, her attempt at idle conversation had simply been to point out her observation that he himself did not like to be observed by the people. After she had turned back to the familiar path, Link had messed his bangs so that the tendrils were strung across his forehead and in front of his eyes in as innocent a fashion as he could arrange. He was sure that the shadows the sun created from his hair would block any pair of eyes from defining shadow from the mark which rested there.

The road ahead had been a long one, longer than Link had remembered it. His first time to Zora's Domain had been partially taken by air, the other by the speed of his lupine bones. Now, though they had taken to horseback, they took the distance at an easy trot, their path laying across the eastern bridge out of Castle Town and turning upon the northern roads. Link did not know the paths north of the town; therefore, he had no idea how far the Domain was from their beginning steps … and with Ashei, the great warrior woman, there would be no rests.

Luckily for Link he had become accustomed to little rest and much traveling, and the silence between them offered him much time to mull through his thoughts.

To think that Zant-so cruel a being, so murderous a person-could only be a pawn in the true design of evil's web…. It was unnerving to know that some other man was capable of so much more, capable of that wicked war of ages long ago. The world he had grown up knowing-his peaceful life in Ordon-had all been torn to ribbons by a man named Ganondorf, a wretched King of Evil.

More powerful than even the sages…. Blessed by the goddesses…. Lusting to take hold of Hyrule forever….

Link could not let that happen. He had to find these mirror pieces to recreate the road into the other realm. He had to stop both Zant and his _god_ before the terrors brought upon Hyrule became irreversible. Even if he would come to stand alone before such usurpers, he could not back down, could not step aside to watch as Hyrule became a wasteland of their cruel tyrannies.

As Link's thoughts grew deeper and more disturbed, the blaring orb above also began its descent into the world without his notice.

"Link," a voice called sharply, and he looked toward Ashei. She had drawn up her black horse by a tunnel carved through a massive mountainside. Looking south, he could still see the Castle's spires. Ashei waved him into the conduit. "This will lead us straight into the waterfall basin. Call it a shortcut, or a backdoor, if you like."

Nodding, Link took up a pace alongside her through the passage. Although it traveled directly through the mountain, there was surprisingly a great deal of light. The surrounding rocks glistened a faint blue, their hue brightening and becoming ever more reflective the deeper they moved. After some time the pair emerged onto a balcony, and the rush of the waterfall spilled into Link's ears at once. Pillars of solid stone rose in zigzagging directions from the ground of the outcropping, connecting with the roof. Below them lay the Zoran people.

"This is where I hid myself waiting for the beast," Ashei informed. "And down there" -she pointed to where two large rocks speared out of the water, one taller than the other- "is where he stole from their supply of red fish." She dismounted her steed then, tying off its reins around a column of ice; Link did likewise with Epona. "I'm going to the Domain," she said. She turned away from Link then and followed the balcony toward the Domain as she called back, "You ask around for more information down below."

Link worked his way around the balcony to the other side of the waterfall basin where the rocks turned into seeded dirt. He interviewed every Zora that inhabited the area around the fall.

"The beast never came into our village before, but now he has been taking our fish," one responded.

Another replied to him in question, "I don't understand this change in the beast's behavior, do you?"

After repeatedly asking each of the Zoras what they knew of the beast-man and receiving little in the way of true intelligence in return, he nearly gave up the effort to trudge directly into the snowy wasteland by way of the tunnel that connected it to the Zoran village. However, one helmeted individual had offered him knowledge which sparked an idea in him, a clear and foolproof way of tracking the beast. "Yes, the reekfish. They have a distinct smell. Over there by the Mother-and-Child Rocks. That's where they keep to; although, they're rather difficult for most to catch."

Link propelled himself toward the stone formations, and, crouching down on the edge of the grassy floor, he leaned in close to the water. There, beneath the surface, he glimpsed the blurred figures of the red fish that Ashei had spoken of back in Telma's bar. He could understand why the beast-or any person-would want to catch them. Perhaps it was simply their flesh-colored scales that made them appear appetizing. Whatever the case, Link needed to locate the beast-man, needed to pick up his trail before Ashei returned from the Domain. This was something he needed to do alone. At the moment another partner would only slow him down. He knew that Midna was still uncomfortable with showing herself to others; thus, the woman warrior's presence would strangle their chances to discuss the future situations. Plus-even though he would try everything not to need to-if he had to transform into a beast himself, he could not have Ashei watching over the process and likely spread word of his condition to the others of the Group.

He would not necessarily have to catch one of these red fish to accomplish what he required. There were enough of them gathered in the vicinity for him to pick up their distinct odor. He whiffed in the scent several times and allowed his nostrils to swallow it as he might chew over food slowly to savor its taste. Once he had mastered its smell, the lupine half of him storing it in is sense memory, Link shot away from the water, garments whirling behind as he made for the tunnel that reached north into Snowpeak.

Link glanced above. Still no sign of Ashei.

He worked his way through the Zora villagers and plunged past the guard stationed at the entrance to the snowy terrain. Immediately, he felt the harsh cold beyond.

===============

He entered into a cavern, ice consuming it more and more the further Link passed through. Icicles shimmered above and threatened to shatter onto his body. He took his steps slowly to both avoid the dangers of the frozen stalactites and to refrain from slipping on the increasing amount of white upon the ground. He soon came upon the tunnel's exit and continued out into the open air.

Link stood upon the heights of an overhang which looked out over the base of this section of the snowy mountains. The many mountains that dotted the vast region soared far up into the sky, the now lightly falling specks of snow circling through the wind as they tumbled down, as if they were participating in some peaceful dance of the mountains. Separating the nearest peaks from Link's location were two icy rivers both mostly covered in a thick sheet of ice. He could spot several pockets where the water that had not yet been solidified. Crossing the twin waterways would be treacherous. One misstep would be the end of his journey, for traveling through this climate burdened by the sting of icy wet flesh would mean a painfully cold end to his life.

Link memorized where the unstable sections were, skidded down the white slope, and approached the smooth surface of the river. From here he took his steps slowly, placing his feet as far apart as he could without losing his ability to react swiftly. Dispersing his weight like this was his only method of defeating the obstacle and being able to cross it without falling through a shallow spot.

"You know, as a wolf-"

At the mere mention of the word, Link barked back a sharp negative reply.

He continued along and soon bypassed the first of the rivers, breathing easier once he had reached snow again. Yet, he could not remember the details of the second stream; therefore, it was up to his eyes to process his next steps quickly and without imprecision. _Time to reassess the accuracy of my reflexes, I suppose_, he said to himself, trying to alleviate some of the tension welling within him.

With that, he began, feet moving fast while eyes judged the stability of every inch at once as he moved forward. Halfway across the river, he could hear an echo behind him. Upon reflex, he looked back. Ashei stood upon the summit of the incline where he had emerged from the connecting tunnel. She had called to him. A frustrated voice, he could tell.

However, another noise drew his attention, signaling a more immediate threat than the angry spouts he would receive from Ashei when they were again within arms length of each other. Cracks webbed out from beneath one of his feet, and soon, the same effect weighed upon the ice below his other.

"You've got to run for it!" called Midna.

Propelled into action again, Link sailed forward from his location, desperately racing against the breaking ice. Some spots he reached did not undergo the same fracturing; however, without time to evaluate each individual section now without skidding to a stop on a potentially lethal bit of ice, Link zoomed across the length of the entire surface. His breath came in sharp gasps, the cold air attacking his throat with each inhale. The last spot that he sprinted across was splintering faster than he could move.

Without any other option, coming as near to the safe land as he could, he leapt. He landed flat-faced in the snow. He peeled himself away from the frost and looked back. Sheets of the icy blanket were sinking away from the surface of the river, pulled down beneath into the depths. Fissures continued to emerge down the entirety of the waterway in both directions. At least five to six meters of the ice had fallen away.

He would have to find another way back.

He gazed back at Ashei's figure, but she was already on the approach. Standing at the edge of the first river, she shouted at him. "What are you doing? Why did you go on without me? We should have waited in the Domain for the night to pass before even trying to climb these mountains." Link had never seen-never heard-an angrier tone of voice. "Now look what you've done! It's a wonder you're still alive!"

Link disregarded her irritation at him, though. It was better that this had happened. Ashei was too cautious an individual to cross even the first waterway now. It was only then that he thanked the gods that he had caused the series of fractures that had led to the impassible state of the route.

"I'm going ahead," Link called back.

"No, at least wait for me to find another way around-" she retorted in a commanding tone much like that of a superior officer ordering a recruit.

"I know which way I need to go now," he assured without explanation. "I'll find my way back when I've found the mirror piece."

_It's better this way_, he assured them both within his mind. He hated that he had to enter the snowy terrain at such a late hour, but a colder atmosphere was better than the consequence of having Ashei follow him. Her rash anger-or her precautionary nature-would have been potentially detrimental to whatever they found after locating the beast-man. _Just, please, don't try to follow me…._

He could see further argument with Ashei's fidgeting body, but he disregarded her fury and turned away. He could waste no more time.

He could still smell the reekfish, and it was as if their scent painted the path ahead of him with a hazed scarlet line. He knew his way, knew which direction to head. Boots sinking deep into the snow with each progressing step, Link trudged on, wrapping his cloak tightly about his body. Like his wolf counterpart had done when he had smelled Ilia upon the roads of Hyrule's lush fields, he followed his nose.

The abilities of the lupine beast within him still frightened him upon occasion, and though he often times wished that he could discard any familiarity to such instincts, his wolfish tendencies had their uses. This was definitely one of them.

He scaled the mountainsides and the trenches between them with much difficulty, but instinctively knowing that he was upon the correct path-that he was still going the right way to find the fish thief-it was all the reassurance he needed to convince him not to surrender his courage to the harsh environment of the North.

It seemed like an entirely different world altogether. He had never known these white specks to cover the land of Ordon where he had spent his entire boyhood. The snow was such a wonder to Link, or perhaps he was just trying to convince himself of that. Thinking of the snow as an obstacle would only enhance its treachery to his feet. Truly, though, the climate here was remarkable, an awesome spectacle.

A blast of wind pelted against his body, and Link thought for a moment that he had heard a voice upon it as well. A howl.

Stopping would have made future movement more difficult; therefore, he merely stepped slower as he cast his gaze about. He could not be sure, but it seemed as if piles of the snow moved. As if they had taken on the shape of animals, beasts. Though, convinced that the wind and the cold were playing tricks on his mind, he continued his trek up the mountains, disallowing himself any incentive to halt.

Before long, after circling about the inclines of several connecting mountains, he reached a height where the side of one of the gigantic formations dove inward, creating a sort of safe haven from the bitter winds that had escalated in speed the higher he had risen. The snow had not collected here as densely as it had in other places. A thick sheet of snow covered the leveled ground, swallowing his boots up to his ankles; though, its depth was nothing compared to the snow that had reached his knees when he had traversed through a trench some time ago.

Resting there a moment, Link took the time to wrap his cloak tighter and to warm the exposed tips of his fingers with warm breaths. His cheeks were sure to have been wind burnt by now, not to mention the fact that his muscles had begun to chatter as much as his teeth.

Link could see no moon in the night sky, but he knew that he had been walking for hours within the darkness of the night. Surely, the cold night was soon to be banished by a new, bright sun.

Yet, peering ahead, something in the side of the mountain caught his eyes. An indentation of sorts, it seemed. Sniffing the air as he approached the area, he found the strongest odor of fish yet. A fresh scent. He was close.

The excitement of having come nearer to the most recent trail of the beast-man, Link raced the remaining distance to the odd groove in the rock. He dug away the mounds of snow to find that the niche tunneled into the mountain. He fell to his hands and knees, and-pulling away bits of snow as he went-he crawled through the path.

By the time he reached the opposite end, he had come into a cavern, decorated naturally just as the tunnel leading into Snowpeak. Bluish hues reflected off the masses of ice, and there were shards of ice hanging from the ceiling of the cave. The hollow contained a frigid air that chilled his bones more drastically than the outside climate. The ice confined within was sure to be the cause, the source of his discomfort. He had hoped that the inside of the mountain would have warmed him, that he could have possibly taken refuge there until the morning, but if he remained in the cavern he would surely meet his death.

Link saw a sharp inclination that led up to an opening, but the rough surface of it had been crusted over by years of ice accumulation. Negotiating its perilous and jagged nature would be no easy task. In fact, Link doubted very much that such a surface could be climbed. He had not come all this way to give up, however.

Rising to the challenge, Link crossed to its base and unsheathed both his daggers. His only sensible option would be to ascend it in much the same way he had climbed the mighty Stallord. Link rammed one blade into the wall against it and the other into its icy surface. In using both the wall and the slope to ascend it, he had reached the top of the cavern in no time-though, not without having overcome a few times when his daggers had either slipped or chipped away entire pieces of ice without having taken hold of the rock.

Glad to be rid of the obstacle until his descent, Link emerged from the cave. He looked down to return his dirks, and he again started on his way, following the smell of the reekfish.

However-he nearly tumbled directly into the giant white figure standing before him.


	31. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29: A Shard of Yeta**

As if the snow had finally served its purpose, Link felt frozen to the mountaintop. Mouth agape and eyes fixed straight ahead, his surprise moved him to a loss of ability. It stood nearly three lengths more than Link's size, and its wide body was covered in thick layers of white fur. Its darkened face resembled that of a man; though, the features were more squished in appearance and partly covered in a huge beard. In its left hand, it held a flopping reekfish at almost the same measurements as Link.

"Uh, I heard ruckus!" the beast-man said, voice booming across the vast range of the white peaks. Link only stopped backing up when he added, "But, uh, only human. I see humans not often. Why human come to the snows? You, uh … on spiritual journey?"

His sudden conversationalist attitude took Link aback for a moment. The frightful beast of Snowpeak had turned out to be as nonthreatening as the fish it held. After a moment wherein Link's shock had receded, he confirmed the snow man's assumption.

"Hmm. You make good climb!" he approved, as if proud that a small human could have expended such energy. "You hungry, I think, then? Come eat at Yeto's house!" he said, waving the fish, apparently without realizing that Link had been able to see it just the same as it had dangled from his fist.

"But it is far away, so we slide there, uh?" the beast-man continued. "Come, come. Do like me."

Link followed the mountain dweller to what he surmised passed as a tree on the somewhat flattened summit of the mountain. It had sprouted forth from the edge of the mountain, where the terrain beyond it sloped and wound back down around the mountain. The tree was comprised of merely bark, except for the few clusters of leaves that had fused together over the course of the plant's life. However, when Yeto slammed his giant fist into the trunk, several of them were dislodged. Link guessed that they were nearly as long as half his size, but also-as he learned when Yeto placed his foot onto one-as large as the beast-man's foot.

Yeto kicked off with his other foot and began his descent. Link moved quickly so that the beast would not escape his vision. He mounted the board of frozen leaves and unstrapped his water pouch from his belt.

"I don't think this is the best time for a refreshment," snarled Midna.

But, though this water had been intended for such a use, Link had another purpose in mind. He drenched one of his boots with the liquid and it quickly dried his foot to the ice. He leaned in on the makeshift board, pushed away with his free leg, and began drifting away from the mountaintop. His speed grew swifter as he moved down the mountain, shifting his weight constantly to follow the curves and dips in its surface. He kept his body pulled in tight as close to the board as he could crouch while remaining capable of moving his hips and knees as the mountain directed.

Though Yeto's weight carried him faster, he stayed within Link's line of sight. Coming to an open gap between this mountain and another, Link jumped the distance, his board barely losing any momentum when it again struck solid ground. He continued in this manner for some time, gliding down the snowy mountains with a natural ease. He even found himself smiling despite the harsh winds that pelted against him and bit at his flesh due to his speed.

The exciting descent, however, ended quite soon. Link wound around one of the last turns and saw that there was a lone ice tower that rose out of the gorge between two mountains. A narrow stone bridge had been constructed from the pillar, attaching it to the surface of the mountain that Yeto and Link slid down. Link reached the bridge after coiling around one last bend in the snow. He continued to skid across the stone, stopping only when his board made contact with the base of the long staircase that stretched upward to the mouth of a rather grand mansion.

Link's board had been cracked into large pieces of ice upon the impact of the stairway, and as he kicked off the last of the particles by stomping his foot, he took a better look at the house of the mountain dweller. He had not had the luxury to stare at its wonder on his descent for fear of straying from his course and tumbling into the depths of the canyon-one deeper than that of Kakariko.

Its façade reminded him slightly of what Hyrule Castle might look like in a few hundred years. The building was broken and cracked in many places; though, the stones held themselves together better than what those of the Arbiter's Grounds had managed. Simple columns held up a rather plain pediment. Within the squared structure, Link spotted a tower that rose above the walls.

"He's got a nice place-for a beast-man," said Midna, also seemingly impressed by the still magnificent nature of the grand ruins of the Snowpeak province.

Link ascended the slick steps and entered the door that had been left open to him. The foyer was a massive work of amazing design. Lining the entryway were armored figures, three to each side, all either carrying a spear or an iron ball and chain. Moving into the foyer, Link found it in a ruined state. Two staircases rose to the second floor above the first level doorway that he presumed led into the rest of the house. However, both staircases were inaccessible due to the damage that had been dealt to them by the sections of the ceiling that had fallen in. Paintings covered parts of the walls; however, most of them had been severely torn up by weather damage, making their subjects now impossible to decipher. Chandeliers were suspended above him, but distrusting the rest of the ceiling, Link moved fast underneath them to escape their shadows.

"Well, at least it's cozier than being outside," remarked Midna, as Link tightened his cloak around him.

Link nodded and proceeded toward the door. In the next room, Link found an odd comfort. It was a large, partly red-carpeted room in which more paintings adorned the walls. Most dangled at crooked angles, but their subjects could still be clearly seen. At the middle of the opposing wall, a fireplace crackled with orange flames. There were only a few small windows that allowed natural moonlight to immerse portions of the room.

Another beast creature sat on a couch next to the fire. It turned to face Link, the sudden draft from the foyer blowing in momentarily until Link had once again sealed the door behind him. "Oh? Who?"

"I followed Yeto here…." said Link, unsure how to properly address the second beast of Snowpeak.

"Ah. I Yeta. Husband said we had visitor, but he like to joke a lot." Link had only been able to distinguish its feminine gender by its voice and its claim as a wife. She did not seem as tall as Yeto, but clearly she was also of a beastly kind. "He in next room. He fix soup. You have some, too?"

Link shrugged. There was an awkward pause in which he could not find anything to say to her in return, and after a few moments, he retreated into the other room. "I'm going to talk with Yeto."

"Uh, would help husband, but I have sickness," she replied, as if trying to excuse the laziness she must have thought Link had suspected of her.

Again at a loss for words, Link simply nodded and offered a sympathetic smile. He opened the door off to the right quickly to escape the uncomfortable atmosphere with Yeta, but once he entered into the kitchen with Yeto, he realized that being in the company of either of the beasts of Snowpeak made him feel unsettled. Perhaps it was simply that he did not know what to say to them or how to react to their words, their strange manner.

"Ah, puny human!" Yeto seemed to scream from behind his boiling pot of stew. The container within which the beast-man cooked his soup was nearly as tall as his white body. Positioned above a mound of burning wood that rested within a small indentation in the floor, the pot sent wicked bursts of steam into the air, and the soup itself smelled as if the cook had simply thrown in an array of different tastes without actually having an idea as to what food could mix with another. To Link, the soup did not smell appetizing.

"Come, come!" called Yeto. "You see wife?" he asked. Then he shook his monstrous head. "Not feel good." But after a moment of staring into his concoction-from which the head of the reekfish stared outward still whole-he looked toward Link again. "You help cook soup for wife?"

"Link," Midna murmured impatiently within his shadow, "we don't have time to nurse them! We need to get going to find that Mirror piece."

But there was something about this place, something that called out to him. Perhaps it was simply coincidence, but … Yeta appearing sick and tired….

_A dangerous power resides in those fragments_…. The words of the sages rang out at Link so powerfully that his realization had to have been audible-the way the obvious truth had just clicked into place.

It was here. The Mirror shard lay within these ruins.

Therefore-instead of wandering off uninvited further into the beasts' home-Link offered his help with the soup. Perhaps if he gained their absolute trust and prodded any information out of them, he would simply be allowed to explore the house further. They did not seem like complicated individuals, and Link was sure that obtaining information from them would be in no way difficult. Yeto had already offered him-a stranger-to enter his home and to allow him accessibility to his sick wife.

Yeto was by no standards an impossible, distrusting individual.

"Good, good!" clapped the beast-man, perhaps a little cheery at the fact that he had a guest to keep him company. "Now. Soup need flavor…. Uh, what flavor?" His eyes sparked. "Ah, pumpkin! See if can find pumpkin. They somewhere."

Yeto's broad wave about the large, open kitchen told Link straightaway that he had not been much of one that kept an organized kitchen. Though, as Link looked about the room, he realized that had he glanced around when he had first entered, he would have seen the disarray that ailed the kitchen. High shelves were lined against the walls at every conceivable angle, and Link wondered how the wide breadth of the beast-man had ever been able to squeeze through their aisles to reach any of his ingredients within the crates that filled the shelves. Tables were also pressed up against the walls, their tops crowded with a variety of bloody meats-which made Link wonder how differently the beast would have reacted to meeting him had he been in his lupine form.

Brow uplifted at the seemingly impossibility of the proposed task, Link set to sorting through the many crates of the shelves regardless. During his search he took up the opportunity to begin his mild interrogation. "How did you wife become sick?" he called through the congested units.

"Not healthy since mirror," Yeto explained. "So I make soup for her. Fish from Zora village most nutritious! Give you energy!"

Link felt Midna squirm within his shadow; her impatience had suddenly switched from Link's willingness to help to Yeto's sloppy language that seemed to drag along due to his lack of ability to remain solely focused upon one topic.

"Needs more punch," the beast-man said, immediately distracted. He sniffed at the air. "Good smell, uh…. Ah!" the beast had finally cornered the scent that had seeped into his nostrils, yanking up a wad of something that Link could not identify. And he silently begged that Yeto would not offer any of the mixture to him once it had been completed. He tossed the lump into the blend of other foods and breathed in a deep whiff. "Mmm! Cheese perfect ingredient, uh!"

Link thanked the gods that the mound of what had appeared whitish clay had been edible, though, he continued to wonder if the clump had still been fresh enough for consumption.

"You find pumpkin yet, uh?"

Rummaging through another pile of boxes, Link replied negatively. Yeto began to hum a tune that sounded more like a grumbling animal than music. Link broke into the beast-man's melody as he turned yet again to another shelf. "So, this Mirror you mentioned…."

"Uh, yeah. Found it on mountain one day," he answered in his vague manner.

Just as Link realized that the beast-man had nothing else he intended to say in response to Link's inquiry, he had finally located a bruised looking pumpkin in one of the lower crates. He pulled it out of its stuffy container, and it felt as heavy as a small boulder. He carried it over to Yeto within his struggling arms' embrace. Yeto, however, excited by the appearance of the fruit, yanked the bright orange lump into his giant palm and threw it into the stew.

Yeto sniffed at the steam radiating from the soup. "Mmm! Smells good, uh!" He suddenly whipped out a club utensil and began mashing at the stew within the large pot. "Wife feel better when she drink this," he assured, smiling as he pounded at the boiling, soupy potion.

Link was not altogether convinced that anyone would wish to drink such a stew, but these beasts had lived on Snowpeak-virtually on an island to themselves-for a period of time that Link could not guess. But perhaps their kind took pleasure in uncommon and bizarre foods.

Pleased with his work, Yeto enlisted Link's help to then pour the soup into rather large bowls. Link grew concerned when Yeto grabbed a third bowl, his stomach silently objecting to even the thought of testing the stew on his tongue. However, Yeto had been kind enough to offer his home to Link, so he refused to openly reject the hospitality of his host.

They carried the three bowls into the sitting room. The large spoons within each concoction whirled around the edges back and forth as they stepped inside and over to the fireplace. Yeto handed down a bowl to his wife and sat beside her with his at hand. Link remained without a chair in which to seat himself, however, and he gave a mental shrug. He laid his giant bowl on the red carpeting and lowered himself to sit opposite the yeti beasts.

Link clasped the tool within the soup and stirred it around the many chunks within. Its yellowish tint did nothing to quell his belly's disturbed gurgles. Just as he was about to politely try a sip, Yeto broke into conversation, halting Link's hand-gratefully-as he looked up to listen.

"So, you said you on spiritual journey, uh?" he said. "Seems weird place to travel for human."

Link's gaze fell to his stew, but his eyes stared blindly past its still bubbling surface. His hand slowly fell, the tip of the spoon coming to rest at the bottom of the bowl as his fingers hung upon its handle limply. Now was as good a time as ever. He had to tell Yeto the truth of why he had come to the mountains, but only as much as was necessary to gain his further cooperation.

"I am afraid I was not completely honest," admitted Link. He glanced back up at the snow beasts. "I journeyed into Snowpeak because I was looking for an artifact … a shard of a mirror."

"Uh?" Link wasn't sure whether this guttural noise had been good or bad; he found it difficult to read Yeto's expression. Soon, however, his face transformed into a readable frown. "You look for Yeta's mirror?" He scratched his white chest. "You want look at mirror, uh?"

"It pretty thing," Yeta added. Then her face fell into a frown full of a distress deeper than her husband's. "But ... since I get mirror, I get sick…. So we lock bedroom where it hangs, uh?"

Passing his eyes from to the other, Link tried to judge how precious the item had become to them. He suspected that however much Yeta had once appreciated the gleaming surface of the mirror piece, her sickness due to its presence had likely opened her mind to the thought of someone carrying it away. After this long moment, wherein Yeta had again taken to eating her soup, Link interjected into the silence, "I don't suppose … I could have a look at the mirror? To see if it's the one I've been looking for."

Link prepared himself for the worst. He did not believe that the beasts would turn upon him in anger, but he had learned to be prepared for any unexpected attack-even from simple-minded mountain dwellers like Yeto and Yeta.

"I take you there after soup," said Yeto finally, and Yeta smiled in agreement.

He nodded his thanks and turned back to his soup. He knew he had to force himself to eat it, but he was hoping that he would not be expected to empty the bowl entirely into his stomach. Link scooped out a spoonful of the liquid and brought it cautiously to his lips, mindful of the slurping and smacking sounds that Yeto created.

The soup was not exactly what Link had expected. Perhaps if he had not watched on as it had been mixed, he would have been more open to the sustenance in the first place. When he touched the soup to his lips and licked it off to gauge the taste, he found that it was not as repulsive as he had first believed. The aftertaste, though, was another matter. After he had gulped down three spoonfuls, he realized that the mixture of the reekfish, pumpkin, and the strange cheese did not exactly suit his taste buds. Nevertheless, he ate as much as he could under the circumstance. He needed to remain in the yetis' good graces if he was going to be allowed to venture further into their home to look at the mirror piece … and negotiate to take it if it did turn out to be that for which he had been searching.

A long silence stretched over the trio as they ate the steaming, chunky soup, until finally Link set aside his bowl. He did not want to completely fill his stomach in case this quiet moment was interrupted by some sinister force. When he looked up, he saw sunlight beginning to dance on the windows once more. A few moments later, he heard Yeta set a now empty bowl beside her. When Link's eyes met with hers, she immediately stood up. To answer the questioning looks on both Yeto and Link's faces, she looked down at the young Hylian, "Feel much better now. I take to mirror."

Link looked to Yeto, unsure if he should proceed without the male's consent. But Yeto simply shrugged, and went back to his soup after promising to join them after he finished.

Link followed Yeta's waddling form out through one of the other doors. He not only passed into another section of the house, but he had also stepped outside, for the rest of the building was completely open to the chill air. It was as if a ceiling in these interconnected central areas of the house had never existed. Perhaps it had been constructed in this manner, for Link could not see any indications in the tops of the walls where a ceiling might have been attached.

Yeta led him across the fields of snow-covered stones to the furthest wall. At the center, the tower Link had seen from the outside of the house rose into the sky. Stair steps led them upward to a walkway attached to the side of the wall, and they followed it toward the tower. They soon reached the tower and followed another walkway that spiraled upward to the top. At the highest point, a blue stoned door faced them, entangled in several layers of chains, and a lock dangled near the center of the door, acting as a hub for all the steel ropes that bound its entryway shut.

The beast-woman pulled out a key, the handle of which resembled a heart, and inserted its sharp point into the lock. She shoved it in deep before turning it. A loud click sounded and was followed by the rattles of dropping chains. She and Link pulled at the remaining suspended chains and kicked them all away from their path leading inside.

"Please," said Yeta. "You come inside."

Link did so at once, entering behind her into a massive room. This bedroom-aside from the evident majesty that the foyer still partly beheld-had been the only room in the entire ruined mansion that had retained any real luster from the ages in which it had been constructed. The walls reached high above, crowded by two rows of embellished windows. The tracery that covered the topmost windows reminded Link of Princess Zelda's dungeon-like chamber wherein he had once spied her looking down upon what had become of the people of her kingdom.

Personal decoration within the bedroom was sparse; however, that which did populate the room made it appear just as warm and comfortable as the sitting room. Blanketing the entire diameter of the space was a red, circular carpet embossed with a yellow design like that of an enormous flake of snow. A giant, canopied bed rested off to the right. A small chest, in comparison to the yetis, stood next to the head of the bed. On the other side of the room were large, long pillows placed in front of a fireplace. Lastly, Link noted that-just as in the foyer-the bedroom owned decorations consisting of several armored statues, holding various weaponries.

Across the room between the chest and the fireplace, dangled the ornament for which Yeta had brought Link to see. "Here mirror. You looked at it, uh?"

Link stood alongside her as she looked into its glassy surface-an exact match, down to the last miniscule etching, of the mirror piece that still remained within the Mirror Chamber.

"Uh, so pretty," said Yeta, staring at her reflection as she tilted her face this way and that. "Pretty. So pretty." Her voice seemed to die away as she repeated her flattering comment over and over, and Link supposed that the reason for the murmuring low tone was due to her sadness at the realization that the shard-something so beautiful-had been the cause of her distress.

As Link reached out to touch the surface, though, he heard sudden, sharp breaths emanate from Yeta. Her body began twitching, growing into violent convulsions. Everything reflected within the mirror piece became distorted, hazy. He could hear Yeta trying to say something, which sounded almost as though failed attempts to proclaim her name…. An attempt to try to steal her away from the obvious yet unusual pains she experienced, Link thought.

However, when she finally spoke, one word combined of her name and the chattering, blubbering noises she made broke out in a shattering, ghoulish scream. "Blizzeta!" Her neck jerked about, and her eyes bore down into Link's. He took several steps backward as Yeta peered at him with cruel eyes, the very essence of their dark color reddening, pupils of ghostly white filling the center of the orbs. Teeth seeped downward from her mouth cavity, elongating into dribbling fangs at the corners.

"NOT TAKE MIRROR!" the screaming voice of the new Yeta declared.

Link stumbled backward still to clear a space between him and the yeti. Shattering glass then filled the room, the top row of windows breaking under the force of an ice storm manifested by the creature Yeta had morphed into. Snow and ice quickly infested the room in a whirl of chill, breaking across Link's body in a rough gust that slapped at his face and fingers bitterly. He held his ground, however, and looked on as the freezing winds bounced about the room, finally ending in circling about Yeta's form. Soon she was completely shielded by a storm of cold, white clouds.

The haze ebbed slowly from her body as the size of its presence expanded. Within moments, the entire room was obscured by white, the cloud bursting away to blanket the bedroom in thick patches of ice. An ice sculpture hung suspended in the air, encasing the figure of Yeta within it. However, by the maddened glimmer within her eyes, Link knew that this was no longer Yeta; the sinister force controlling her had power over the frigid element that now diseased the room.

Link understood it to be the dangerous power of the mirror shard that the sages has so pointedly warned him about … and it did not wish to be taken by Link.

_Too bad_. Link seized the Master Sword from its sheath and twirled it comfortably a few times as he took up a light-footed pose and waited for a sign of movement from the ice mass. To his surprise, however, several more masses of crystallized water assembled themselves from the field of ice surrounding him. They joined Yeta above him, encircled about her casing. At once, they began to spin about Yeta as she floated through the air toward him. Without pretense the shards began dropped sharply toward Link, and he scrambled on the slippery floor to escape their booming falls, ice erupting from their impacts and splintering into the air.

Link managed to evade the crashing blocks, stabilizing his steps by digging the metal slabs he had previously affixed to his soles into the ground as he ran. He counted off ten echoing rumbles before the masses picked themselves out of the floor to again rotate about Yeta.

It was at this point-as Link slipped and crashed bodily into the wall-that he spotted Yeto's figure on the opposite side of the doorway, his body distorted by the jagged surface of the ice. Yeto screamed into the room, but the frozen buffer muffled his voice. Even so, Yeta would not have been able to hear him.

Link would do all he could not to harm Yeta in purging the darkness from her body. Yet if it came to that….

He pushed off gently from the wall so that the movement did not send him flying across the ice. But just as he reacquainted himself with the field, Yeta's minions were once again upon him. This time, though, they all fell at once. Link saw them coming, knew he could not escape the circle of doom that they had molded into … and he braced himself for a hard, cold, sudden death. He flung his arms over his head.

A whipping wind brushed past his body as the circle of ice blocks rained down upon him, but instead of piling directly atop him, they surrounded him, their collisions sending bits of ice up- and outward. A shiver ran down Link's spine due to both the chill of the cold dust now covering him and the death he had been fortunate to once again escape.

His relief did not last long, for above him hovered the giant sculpture that housed Yeta. Link was in motion just as it plummeted toward him. He clung tightly to one of the ice shards, flattening his back against it. When the capsule hit the floor there was only just about a foot between Link and the ice mass. Though, staving off both fear and relief, Link came down quickly upon the central block of ice with the Master Sword, but upon contact, dull clangs sounded. The blade could not rip through the wicked ice; it had no affect on the mirror's dark manifestation.

Realizing that they had not struck Link, the masses rose from the floor to hover above him once more. Before their next attempt to smash him, Link tossed his gaze about the room at the statues.

If he could just find one of them that held what he needed….

To his left he discovered an armored statue that had exactly that. Seeing the lethal ball and chain it grasped, Link ran over to it as steadily as he could. With his blade he hacked away at the ice shielding it from him. Chunks of ice fell away within the split moments he had to reach his goal until the ice masses were again upon him. Once the better part of the torso was exposed, Link quickly sheathed his sword and grabbed the sporadically spiked ball. He twisted the end of the chain around his wrist and held onto the chain.

He was then on the move once more, the added weight of the metal sphere making his steps slower yet more secure at the same time. He still had adequate time to outrun their descents, and when he counted off the last impact of their group, he turned on the spot and hurled the ball toward the nearest of them.

It shattered apart, joining the ruined ice floor.

He waited for them to collect above him again, circling about his position, and as soon as they collapsed onto the ground, Link escaped through an opening where the tenth ice shard would have fallen. He had just cleared their circle as Yeta crashed down onto the floor, missing her target for the second time.

This time, however, Link knew how to fight back.

Link turned on his heel, twirled the ball above his head to catch a momentum, and hurled the deadly chunk toward Yeta's shell. It crashed full force into the ice mass, dislodging large portions of ice from the whole. Yeta was not yet exposed from within the mass, and Link was banking on the assumption that if he freed her from her cage the mirror's power would recede and return her to normal.

If he was wrong, however … and her liberation did not stop the dark entity….

Link cast off the distraction. He would deal with the end result as it came. For now, he needed to concentrate on the task at hand … without getting crushed.

An angered growl radiated from Yeta's bubble, and she and her minions lifted from the ground once more. The attacks of the shards came faster now, each landing split seconds after the last, becoming a trail behind Link as he successfully evaded each of them in turn. Yeta seemed to be learning quickly, for when Link had been able to land a second blow to her encasing, her attacks came swifter and out of her usual pattern. She called on her minions to assault Link consecutive times, leaving Link at a loss to predict her next move. But he kept in step regardless of her efforts, always managing to stay a step ahead of the raining attacks.

Link had a fair guess when Yeta was about to join her cohorts in the assault. Each time she grew flustered with anger, a howl of rage reverberated off the walls, and moments later-though the time period varied-her observational nature would quickly be replaced by a more lethal one.

Yeta hurtled down toward Link after a series of unsuccessful hits from her minions. This time she managed to graze Link's leg as he sped away. Though it had not been enough to shed blood, she had achieved in tearing a long, straight rip down the white of his right leg. A callous, chattering laugh replaced the usual rage-filled bellow of Yeta's dark form.

Offering no attention to this distraction, Link turned on Yeta while her senses remained clouded by the pleasure she took in dealing some damage to him. Yet, Link's throw landed dully on the floor, for she had reared back toward her skyward domain right as his attack had been cast. Link quickly reeled in the large ball, taking it again within his arms as Yeta prepared her minions for yet another attack wave.

However, cracks were visible on Yeta's shell at several angles due to Link's triumphant strikes. One well directed hit would shatter it completely.

Yeta had been reduced to the accompaniment of only six minions, but their attacks came in heavy, almost angry thrusts downward, landing with vibrating force as they continued to miss Link on each attempt.

The shards' consistent inability to strike Link down frustrated Yeta. A booming shriek rattled the walls. What Link was glad that Yeta could not understand, however, was that the constant need to quickly evade the ice crystals was placing him near exertion. He did not know how much more he could withstand trying to keep his balance while evading, while turning quickly, while casting the ball and chain, while reeling it in…. The cycle of this altercation had drained him of his strength faster than any other of the battles against large beasts that he had been forced to wage. Perhaps it was the elemental nature of the battlefield, one which would have clearly given his enemy the upper hand had she not been so slow in her bulk.

Disallowing the truth of his condition to shine through his visage, Link prepared for Yeta's attack to come. Sure enough, as indicated by her tell-tale bellow, her glistening cage pounded down toward Link's position, determined to finally strike him down. She had used her remaining six minions in an attempt to corner him, and Link had managed to weave past each of them as they fell … except the last.

When the sixth ice mass came crunching down directly in front of him he tried to turn out of its path, but he only succeeded in slipping. Luckily, it did not crush him. Instead, his body wailed into the side of the mass, and the hit sent his body reeling to the ground. The ball slid from his hands, and that was when he looked up. The next moments happened in such quick succession that Link had barely any time to realize just how sharp his reaction time was.

Yeta thundered down and Link took advantage of the ball spiraling out of his reach. He used the momentum with which the steel orb soared across the floor to carry him along, and he slid away behind it. Once clear of Yeta's colossal figure, he yanked his body about and lodged his feet into the ice. The metal of his soles rooted him to the ground, and only in the split second it took him to be sure of his footing did he jerk on the chain. Hard.

Pivoting one foot to the side to twist his body and arms back around in a one-hundred-eighty degree arc, he guided the sphere at the great ice mass.

The spiked ball struck the sculpture at a point which caused its numerous cracks to extend, webbing inward to where Yeta rested. Fissures then began spreading rapidly across the entirety of its surface and depth until, at last, pieces of the mass began to break away and shatter. The sinister entity infesting Yeta's body screamed at the exposure in an unnatural, wraithlike howl, its high-pitched tone dipping up and down as its evident pain grew stronger. Pieces of ice broke or melted away, leaving Yeta to at last fall facedown to the floor. The chill wind rose once more, and with its swirling gusts, it ate away the ice congesting the room and dispersed from the shattered windows just as quickly as it had engulfed the space.

Just as the doorway reopened, Yeto charged into the room, a loud bellow escaping him. It seemed as though the vanished ice had funneled into Link, for he stood frozen to the floor, staring down at Yeta. The ball rested on the carpet, and the chain hung loosely against his wrist. His heart had caught within his ribs, a sharp yet hollow pain residing there. He had never killed an innocent before. Was she…?

Yeto crossed to Yeta in five steps, knocking Link to the side as if he were a simple decoration that he could not care less if he broke. Link landed on his side, the chain pulling tautly at his hand as his body fell atop it and squished it into the floor. He sat up awkwardly, and tugged the chain from his arm and tossed it aside. He refocused on the pair of yetis then, wondering the same as Yeto.

To both their relief, Yeta stammered, "Uh… What… What wrong with me?"

A teary smile broke across Yeto's wooly face. "You just dreaming," he consoled, crouching to help her sit up.

Yeta's countenance had returned to normal, and instead of the red glow within her eyes, they now glistened, a range of emotions apparent within them. "Mirror you gave…." she muttered both fearfully and sadly. A lingering coldness seemed to pulse through her veins, for when her gaze turned from Yeto to the mirror and back again, Link could see the stiffness of her movements … and the welling tears within her beautiful orbs.

"Forget mirror, Yeta," the other yeti consoled.

Link pushed himself off the ground and slowly approached the couple, stopping a small distance away to allow them the moment to reassure each other that the horror of the mirror's darkness had not ended in tragedy.

"Look into eyes of Yeto," the beast-man smiled. "Look in reflection. There true beauty." Yeta's face brightened at that, her tears raining despite her new happiness. "Who need mirror?" he added, and he spread his arms wide toward Yeta. She fell into his grasp, and they embraced one another tightly as if trying to squeeze out the terror that had just overtaken their bedroom. Yeta's tears moistened his white chest as Yeto's happy droplets drizzled down his face and onto her head.

Link remained at a distance as they cuddled together. As he watched on, he noticed how his emotions were also brimming with the need to express themselves. However, he did not wish to convey to Midna how torn he had been when he had thought he had killed Yeta. Just being attached to her by his shadow was enough to make him force the suppression of his feelings. Though he had come to trust and value Midna's companionship, he still disliked her presence sometimes. He was never alone to deal with his feelings; there were only stolen moments wherein he could give in to pain or sadness when her back was turned. In the back of his mind, a voice had bloomed which had seemed to take on the very characteristics of the imp. He could hear what her comments would be through his imagination, and he often loathed what he heard. And now, more than ever, he wanted to be disconnected from her, to have the chance to think over all the things he had done along his journey to save Hyrule-without being judged if any tear should fall.

He woke from his daze when he heard the yetis shuffling to their feet once more, Yeta huddled within her husband's protective arms. Yeto looked to Link. His eyes were not cruel and defensive as Link would have thought; rather, they conveyed an offering of warmth. "You save wife," thanked Yeto. He then asked, "Mirror what you look for?"

Link's voice crackled with uncertainty when he answered. "Yes."

"It bad," he said gruffly. "You take mirror away."

The young hero accepted and stepped past them to reach the suspended mirror. He avoided looking at his reflection as he unhooked it from the stone wall. Carefully, he took its rimmed edge in hand, trying to not to handle its sharp, broken inside edges. He could feel the deep well of its power within his grasp, but with the help of the Master Sword's presence, he blocked its lifelike energy from his body and mind.

Link turned back to face the yetis, but they no longer paid him any attention. They had returned to their cuddle, confident that the strange visitor would take the mirror far from them, never to return. Link walked past them, aiming straight for the door, wanting so desperately to shut his mind to what he had nearly done. He tried to convince himself that it had been necessary to fight the possessed Yeta … but nothing he told himself-even that it had been the only way to secure the mirror shard-managed to settle his distraught thoughts.

His footsteps seemed weighted as he approached the open doorway, his gaze downcast. Why did it seem that, though with each battle he grew closer to destroying the evil infesting Hyrule, everything seemed to always worsen? Why did each battle take more and more energy from him? He had nearly died while battling the Stallord, and now … now he had nearly killed an innocent….

And who knew how many of these shards had been broken off the Mirror of Twilight? Who knew how many more creatures like Stallord or the ice creature he would have to slay in order to restore the magical mirror? Would he eventually take the plunge into his own death along the way? By Zant? By Ganondorf? Would he know the same nonexistence as the ancient hero before or at quest's end?

No, Link assured, remembering the promise he had made to himself when he had left the Gorons' mountains. _I will sit on that mountain again. I will watch the sun set below the horizon. When it's all over ... I'll go there again..._

When Link reached the exit, he glanced back at the yetis. Seeing them locked in their embrace, Link understood that to them they had already said their farewells. Unlike the people that he had known, the yetis would not trouble themselves in watching their guest leave. Midna must have also come to this realization, for she appeared at his side, her bold colors catching his attention.

"Well, we have one of the mirror shards now," she said, and Link handed her the piece. She gazed onto its surface for a fraction of a moment, her reflection seeming to catch her off guard, to offend her in some way. Link supposed that the knowledge of its control over Yeta had produced the frown on her lips. Though, it looked more like a grimace. And her next words seemed not to fully encompass what she was thinking. "I feel bad about the way we treated that girl," she admitted. "To think the Mirror of Twilight has the power to change people like that. This world … no, all worlds … can be so cruel."

Link was at a loss at what to say to comfort her, for the ache in his heart had stolen all words from him. A deeper part of him was astonished, happy-relieved even-to know that Midna had shown so much compassion in that moment.

But Midna stiffened, waking from her sympathies. "Let's collect the rest of the pieces, Link," she said, lifting a fierce gaze to him as the mirror dispersed into the dimension of her magicks. "We have to … before more innocent creatures have to endure suffering like she did…."

Without word or gesture, Link turned away from the embracing couple to exit out into the cold of the North once more.


	32. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30: Temple of the Past**

Link, devoured by his thoughts, had lost track of the time he had spent in the northern country. By the time he had once again come to Zora's Domain, a new night had fallen. Epona was missing and the only thing Link could guess was that Ashei had returned to Castle Town and she had taken Epona with her. Resigned to the fact he would have to walk all the way back, he decided to rest in the waterfall basin. His bones were still frozen and he needed time to rest his muscles, which had been quaking for at least a few days just to keep him warm.

When he woke a few hours later, first light had broken across the sky. Link heaved himself up and followed the path back through Zora's Domain, but when he finally arrived in Castle Town, night had come again.

He walked through the city streets slowly, the thin crowd milling about and paying him no mind as they tended to their routine chores. His path toward the bar was not as populated as it usually was by day and for that he was thankful. He did not much like the idea of being stared at and talked about at any rate, but with the weight of what had happened at the yeti dwelling, Link cringed at the thought of even having to show his sunken face to the Group. He wished there was a way around meeting them at this moment … to give him time to erase the visual remains of the traumatic horror from his eyes…. But he needed to move on, to gain information on where the next mirror piece might have been hidden. He did not have time to rest so completely before the next leg of his journey. The streets and plains and valleys and waters of Hyrule were falling deeper into the darkness as each day passed … and so it would continue until Zant and Ganondorf had answered for their crimes against the kingdom.

He wondered which of them he would be forced to face first. If Ashei had already returned, he was not sure what to expect from her certain wrath. And Auru would likely scold him as well, for he had already bitten back the worst of his opinion when Link's excursion into the desert had nearly cost him his life. Even Telma, it seemed, would have a word or two to add to their likely arguments. He was sure Shad would pay no mind to his behavior in Snowpeak. On the other hand, he would likely wish an account detail by detail so as to record the events. Rusl, however…. Link was not sure what to expect, and he was not entirely sure he would care even if the blacksmith supported his decision to leave Ashei behind.

Regardless, prolonging the inevitable conversation would only stress his weary senses further. He would endure their harshness if for the simple fact that Telma would likely put him up for the night.

Link, having come to a halt at the top of the stairs that led down to the tavern's entrance, tried to shed the sorrow in his eyes with each step he then took toward the door. Yet, even as he opened the door and whiffed the thick smell of mead, Link had still been unable to banish the thoughts of his deeds.

Once his presence had been noticed by some of the Group, all members accounted for, Ashei immediately strode for him. Rusl spotted Link upon his companion's half-run toward him. He caught onto her arm to hold her back, stopped at the open doorway that connected the two rooms. "Why did you go ahead?" she demanded, her tone jarring the merry drinkers in the main room momentarily out of their conversations. Telma eyed Ashei from behind her bar as she attended a customer's request for a refill.

Ashei reluctantly waited for Link to cross through the room to reach their alcove. He tried to meet the gazes of the others, but found himself unable to. _You have to look at them, Link,_ he told himself. _Or they will know that you're troubled._ The other part of him argued against it, though. _If you look at them, they'll see it in your eyes…._

Link opted for the former choice; however, for he knew that shying away from eye contact would make them more susceptible to the cloud that hung over him. Ashei and Shad were the only ones that he knew with fair certainty did not realize his state of mind. Rusl and Auru were different. If they did perceive something they either decided not to address it, or they were simply waiting for an appropriate time to bring it to light.

"Well then?" barked Ahsei, shaking loose of Rusl's grip. "Why did you go on without me when I told you not to?"

Link had his answer, and it was deeper than just the fact that he was the one destined to banish the evil…. But he did not supply it.

"Ashei, calm down," said Rusl.

"I will not!" she shot back. "He deliberately left me behind!" She turned her ferocious dark eyes upon Link again. "And I want to know why."

"Ashei is right, Link," added Auru, though more softly than Link would have expected. "It was dangerous to venture through Snowpeak alone."

Link contemplated what best to say in return. He burned to tell why he desired only their knowledge and not their personal involvement, but they would shoot down those worries with smiles and frowns alike. They would dismiss him for thinking the way he did … for thinking that those near to him would get hurt. Midna had been a breath away from death once before … yet his reasons went even deeper still.

Midna had to be there … had to be with him. They were warriors of Light and Twilight on the same path, one from each realm. Everyone else…. He did not want them involved any more than they needed to be. The people of Hyrule would fight for their kingdom, and he was sure that many would die for it. But … such needless deaths…. Such horror did not need to befall them, not if he as one man, with Midna, could fight for them and spare the fields of Hyrule from such bloodshed.

Therefore, Link only offered to Ashei an apology … and a vague truth. "I'm sorry, Ashei. I thought I could handle it on my own."

"You very well _should_ be sorry," she returned. Though her rage still engulfed her at the thought of him-a child in her eyes-leaving her behind, she seated herself at the table in her usual spot between Auru and Rusl's chairs.

Shad broke the silence with a stammer. "We wanted to come in search for you, but, oh, with the blizzards … Ashei warned us against it. She said that-"

"You're lucky to have come back alive," she finished for him with a sneer.

Rusl had not joined them, merely looking on from the doorway as argument turned to discussion.

"So … your journey was not successful?" asked Auru.

Link shook his head, realizing his former statement had indeed implied this. "No, I found a piece of the mirror," he said, trying to lace his words with some amount of life so that he did not sound thoughtfully hollow.

"Where is it then?" the bespectacled, red-haired youth asked.

"It's-safe," offered Link, hoping they would not inquire further. His companion's presence alone would have taken the night to explain, not to mention the existence of her strange magic powers. When the Group paused to that thought, Link took the opportunity to move ahead with the conversation. "Now we need to direct our attention to the next."

"How many pieces are there exactly?" asked Ashei. "Did these sages happen to mention?"

It was obvious that though she likely respected such beings, she preferred to place her trust in things less mystical.

"No."

"So, we could be searching for these pieces for some time before this mirror is finally whole again," she huffed. "By that time it could already be too late for Hyrule!"

Link had considered this as well while he had been in Snowpeak, but the return journey had given him ample time to think on more than just what had happened with Yeta. "A shard remained in place when I found the mirror, and it appeared to be at least a fourth of the entire mirror. The piece I found in Snowpeak was roughly the same size, so it is my hope that-if it had been fragmented evenly-there are only two pieces left for us to find."

"Well, that doesn't sound so bad at all," announced Telma to break the tension amassed within the room. She grabbed the seat next to Link and settled her bulk within it. "Ideas anyone?" she continued to grin, scooting a mug toward Link.

Her smile immediately faded when Auru answered, coming into her serious self. "Darkness is spread throughout Hyrule. Isolating a point where it may infest will be difficult. I'm sure evidence like the freezing of Zora's Domain will not point us as easily in the right direction this time."

"Nonsense," said Telma. "We just need to look harder. We can start-"

"-with the Temple of Time," Rusl interjected.

All looked toward the blacksmith, but it was only Link at whom the man looked. "After you had left for the desert, Shad and I were talking, and he mentioned something about the Occoa, that they had long ago built a temple."

"Ah, yes," nodded Shad excitedly. "The Occoa are the ancestors of the Hylians. They built the Temple of Time long ago to house a sacred power."

"I don't understand," said Link. "Would not this sacred power be-"

"-the Master Sword?" finished Rusl, and Link grew wide-eyed. "Yes, Link, we know you carry it with you. I know you have been to the Temple of Time."

"Then you should then also know that if there had been anything to indicate such evil, I would have dealt with it," countered Link.

"So I do," nodded Rusl. "However, I believe that there may be something more."

"Then we should investigate further," Auru broke in. "Link, do you remember the way?"

Link was not sure how to answer. He had been a mindless wolf when he had ventured into the woods to find the Master Sword. The memories were still just a blur in his mind. But before he could reply, Rusl interposed once more. "It doesn't matter. I know the way."

Again the blacksmith received the stares of all his colleagues.

"Why did you never mention this?" asked Shad, almost insulted.

"I could not allow the Master Sword to be disturbed until Hyrule called for a hero once more."

Shad closed his customary text, and leaned back in his seat, obviously a little furious.

"I hadn't noticed that you carried the legendary blade when you first came to us," continued Rusl, gazing right at Link. "After Shad had mentioned the Occoa and the temple … I can't explain it. I just had a bad feeling. You could feel the darkness in Faron all that time ago when all that frightened us was when the children went into the woods alone." Rusl breathed in wearily. "I've had that same feeling for some time now.

"To say the least, after our talk" -he gestured toward Shad- "I went into Faron, and when I reached the Temple of Time … the Master Sword was gone. I thought that perhaps it being missing had caused my distress, but when Auru and I found you in the desert … I learned it had been you who had taken the blade. And so, that troubled feeling has still not left me. Something is amiss within the woods of Faron."

The silence that ensued after Rusl had finished proclaimed that they all understood the severity of what he proposed. If evil had indeed crept inside the walls of such a sacred temple, a temple that had been lost to Hyrule for generations….

"Then it's clear," said Telma. "We must investigate the Temple of Time."

"Link and I will go first thing in the morning," proposed Rusl, and everyone-including Shad-nodded in agreement.

Link opposed the idea of traveling with Rusl, yet he knew that the others would insist on the partnership. He decided not to disagree, for though he knew that having Rusl beside him would distract him, he forced himself to admit that the blacksmith would be an asset to his journey. Besides … Link could not remember the way to the temple. It would take less time to locate it if he were along.

The meeting adjourned at that. Shad immediately went back to his readings, a frown lingering on his lips. Ashei tossed a glare toward Link before she retreated to the outside streets. Auru fell deep into thought as he remained seated. Telma and Rusl had receded to the bar, likely discussing the details of tomorrow's mission since their voices remained low.

Link took up the mug Telma had offered him earlier and slowly retreated from Auru and Shad's presence. He moved to take up a seat by the fireplace. He sipped at his drink and warm milk met him lips. The taste and heat of it soothed him, and for a moment he was back in Ordon … in the fields with Fado. Ilia was also there, and the three of them were tending to the goats and the cows and running through the ranch stables. He remembered what it was like to be twelve again … and happy.

In the same instant, that happy feeling was sapped away by the return of his guilt. Guilt for Ilia. Guilt for Yeta. He tried to wash away the pain with another drink, but the memories of happier days did not come back.

To busy his mind, he mulled over everything that had been said during the Group's meeting just moments ago. Facing Ashei and Auru's wrath had not been as bad as the scene had played out in his imagination. Whatever the reason that Ashei had not lashed out at him more brutally, Link was very glad that they had not wasted time with such a trivial confrontation.

Link felt a tap on his shoulder. He looked up and saw Rusl. "Come," he said. "A bed is ready for you upstairs."

Rusl turned away. Link, his thoughts still numb from his excursion in Snowpeak, ripped himself from his chair and followed after Rusl. The blacksmith bade good night to the barkeep, and she smiled in return. She then switched her gaze to Link and noticed the long rip down the side of his pant leg. "Link!" she exclaimed, but her mouth coiled into a teasing frown. "You leave those on the table outside your room and I'll patch them up. Honestly, you'd have no clothes left."

Link nodded and followed Rusl behind the bar and up the stairs to the second floor. Remembering, the youth asked, "Epona. Did Ashei-?"

"She brought Epona back to town. Safe and warm," the blacksmith replied. His tone sounded strange, and he did not look at Link when he spoke.

Rusl led him to the room that Link had occupied when he had woken after returning from the desert wastes. Rusl opened the door, and said without pretense, "We leave at dawn. Don't try leaving without me, Link." The blacksmith then retreated back down the hall into another room without a further word. Link was not entirely sure, but Rusl's voice sounded as if it were salted with disappointment.

_No matter._ Link stepped into the room, and after gazing at the torch lights flickering in the night streets, he unlaced his cloak and hung it over the head of his bed. And after removing his weapons and setting them against the wall, he stepped in front of the chest. He slipped off his hat and tousled his hair and started removing his boots.

Midna rose from his shadow then and stretched her tiny limbs with a wide yawn. She moved to hover next to the window. "Ah, good to be warm again, huh?" She giggled, but when she saw Link fumbling with the clasps on his gauntlets, she threw a concerned gaze toward him.

His fingers did not want to work properly, and he suddenly yanked at the clasps madly. When the gauntlet slid free, he banged it down hard on the chest. That was his breaking point … when he could no longer hold the entirety of his raging emotions behind his blank stares. He leaned over the chest, hanging his face into his still armored left hand. The last time he could remember feeling like this had been after he had safely escorted Ilia, Ralis, and Telma to Kakariko. That had been the point where he had finally been able to mourn the fact that Ilia could no longer remember him. And now….

"Link? Are you all right?" asked Midna, her tone sincere.

He ignored her for a moment. Just once he wished she would not be worried enough about him to ask that question. So long ago she would have never dreamed of concerning herself over his wellbeing.

Midna watched as he went back to unlacing his opposite gauntlet. "Yes," he affirmed quietly. Yet … she thought she saw him wipe at his face before he returned to his task.

Before long, Link had undressed down to his white undershirt, taking his pants and placing them on the table just outside his room as Telma had asked. Link then crossed the room and plunked down onto the crisp covers of the bed. He pulled back the blankets and tried to relax underneath their warmth as he lied on his back staring at the ceiling.

Long moments had passed wherein Midna saw and heard no movement from him, and she thought him to be asleep … until he called her name softly. She moved closer to the bed, waiting patiently for him to speak.

He asked his question silently first. _Have you ever harmed an innocent?_ But just considering what her possible answers could have been made him uneasy. That and he was not sure if he wanted her to try console him in the matter. He did not exactly feel like talking about it.

"Never mind," he dismissed, and he rolled onto his side, facing the wall, trying to find comfort in his pillow.

Midna watched him silently for a moment, seeing his body shifting only at his slow, deep breaths. A frown tore at her lips as she contemplated his state of mind. It was true he had been through much since she had met him. He was quite young as well. She had never asked him his age, but by his boyish and still barely wrinkled cheeks, she guessed that he had experienced life for around twenty years or less.

Someone so young and having to deal with as much as he had been destined for…. Someone so young and having to see his friends suffer…. Someone so young and knowing that if he failed in saving Hyrule….

She hated seeing him in pain, but she turned away, leaving him to some deal of privacy. And yet, through the long hours of the night, there were a few times when she thought she had heard a sniffle.

===============

Link awoke early the next morning, and though he had finally fallen into a restful sleep, dreams he could not remember had plagued him all through the night. All he could recall was the feeling of impending grief, and he sat up in bed within wide eyes, wondering if this feeling was still the aftermath of his altercation with Yeta and his dispelled dreams … or if it was something different altogether.

Shaking the feeling Link rose from the bed, seeing that his pants had already been mended and that Telma had already replaced them with his other garments. Link immediately took to dressing himself, and it was only after he glanced at his boots that he realized that something was missing.

Where was Midna?

Link twisted about and searched the room. She was nowhere to be seen. He gazed down toward his bare feet, looking into his shadow, but there was no red and yellow eye that met his stare. Just then, however, he saw her impish stature come into view, rising from underneath the bed. Link was reminded of the constant childhood misconception that there lived monsters underneath beds. He shook his head; perhaps children were more perceptive after all of what mysteries pervaded their world. A small grin bent Link's lips against his will.

"I see you're feeling better?" she asked, having seen the smirk.

His amusement immediately faded into its previous frown. Silently, he clothed himself. "Well, see you later!" sighed Midna, deciding it was time to retreat into his shadow. Rusl had said they would leave at dawn, and seeing as though the sun was beginning to bring life to the town outside, it would be any moment that the blacksmith rapped on Link's door.

Within minutes, Link was fully dressed and armored once again. He stretched a hand out for his cloak, but upon gazing down at its symbols, he again remembered Zelda. His mind had been fogged by the presence of the malicious beast, but he still remembered that rainy night, remembered how her beautiful, sparkling eyes and her fair skin had dropped so lifeless once Midna's life had been restored. He wondered … what had become of her? Did she still lie soulless in that cold, dark room?

He thought of leaving the cloak behind, but the reminder of her sacrifice forced him into pulling it about his shoulders. He also cringed at the thought of encountering Zant again. As long as he wore this cloak, he would never again run any risk of transforming into that foul beast of divinity.

A tap on his door reacquainted him with the world, and he realized that the brightness of the sun had now completely illuminated the streets in its early morning radiance. He turned to the door and spied Rusl through the crack.

===============

Telma had informed Link and Rusl that the townspeople had finally pitched in to clear the boulders that had once blocked the path leading into the southern fields of Hyrule. Relieved that their journey together had been considerably cut down, Link had wasted no time in gathering provisions and saddling Epona. Rusl had followed suit and borrowed one of Telma's steeds, a beautiful brown beast streaked with white.

Once they were set, Link and Rusl guided their horses toward the southern end of town. Link could feel Rusl's eyes turning to him occasionally, as if he were making sure that he was well. Some of the folk had glanced or stared in their direction, and Link and Rusl both knew that the sight of horses travelling the streets was not the true focus of their attention. The guards paid careful attention to the both of them as they departed the town-but it seemed to Link as if they recognized his face, too … even though they were not the same two soldiers that had stopped him before, demanding the that he remove all his weapons.

Again, he had been thoroughly recognized by most as the symbol that his face had become. He would not openly oppose the people of Hyrule for marking him as a hero, for it had been exactly that which the goddesses had branded him, but it still bothered him. Though he would defend Hyrule and their lives with his own, he hoped that they had at least some courage. Why did he have to carry the weight of all their courage combined?

If he failed … they would need to finish what he had begun.

As he and Rusl moved out of the town, Link unconsciously scratched at the back of his gauntlet. It was here that Rusl mounted his steed, looking down to Link who had just then been awakened from his thoughts by the quick movement. "Let's get going," said Rusl, obviously ignoring how Link started at his voice and immediately removed his hand from the gauntlet.

Nodding, Link climbed into Epona's saddle, tousling his long bangs so that they covered most of his forehead. He still did not much care for anyone to find out that he had, upon many occasions, transformed into a lupine animal … especially Rusl. If he had known the beast that had terrorized his wife and wrecked his house in search of a sword and shield had been him…. Link did not want to even think about how his boyhood mentor would react to such knowledge. Perhaps there would be a day after peace had once again returned to Hyrule in which he would at last tell the tale of his long journey to those who asked it of him.

_Yet why would it matter to Rusl?_ Link thought, as he kicked Epona into a gallop and riding hard alongside the older man. _Did he not lie to me for years about he being my father to just one day tell me that all I had ever known was a life I should have never had? Why should I not tell him the terrors I have been through and the many lives that I have taken? Let him feel the same pain in knowing that the boy he raised has turned into a monster._

But Link could not bring himself to be so cruel. It was not in his nature to intend to be so spiteful. Rusl had raised him better-

_Rusl_. The name resounded. _The man who only pretended to be my father, and now … it's like he completely disowns me_…. Rusl's son was like a little brother to Link, and to finally have had the fact that he and the boy were from two entirely separate worlds smacked coldly in his face…. It hurt.

Since the day Rusl had told him the truth of his parents Link had never felt the same. He felt as though he did not belong anywhere. Life in Ordon had treated him well, had given him friends who cared for him and he for them, but there was something missing. He supposed he had always felt the hollowness within him. His parents had abandoned him, and with that thought there were many others that constantly bubbled up within him as well.

Why did his parents leave him? Did they have a choice? Had he been the result of some Castle Town scandal? Had they known he had been branded by the gods, or had they thought his mark a curse? Did he have any siblings? How old were they? Had his parents told them about him? Had anyone in his family ever gone in search for him? Did they sometimes think of him as he so relentlessly thought of them?

Were they still alive?

Had there ever been a time when they had loved him … if only in the smallest part of their hearts?

Link's lips grew into an angered line, and he tried his best not to frown so obviously while within Rusl's eyesight. He had blamed the old man for his abandonment some time ago, though he had tried so desperately not to see him in that light. When living in Ordon, Link had tried to hide the deep part of him that resented the blacksmith, had tried to bottle the feeling so that it could never escape to hurt the man. But why?

His journey had given him time to think on so much, and Link had now come to almost abhor the man's supposed care for him. Was it care when one openly rejected ever having been a father figure? He had said as much when he had encountered him in the bar for the first time. _"Link here is from my village. He rescued my son and the other children..."_ That comment had hit Link deeply. There had been no indication, no profession of ever having raised him, and Rusl had marked his statement further by saying how different Colin was from Link. _My son_… The words echoed, scarred Link. _Then what have I become? All I am to you now is just someone from the same village? Is that what I am to you now? You raised me since infancy, and now … am I so much less of a son to you? Was I just a burden to you?_

The boundary of Faron Wood had come into view, and Link and Rusl weaved quickly through the southern field of Hyrule. They paid little mind to the guards stationed there, only enough to evade their arrow assaults. The bokoblins could be rather formidable in battle, but Link and Rusl knew that they would only travel so far into the sinister woodland before they would become frightened and turn back. Link did not expect they would encounter much resistance once inside the heart of the forest.

And so Link traveled, numb to his attackers' attempts to unseat him from his horse. He had grown so used to their tactics that he swerved on instinct as needed without having to place much focus in watching their every move. Once they crossed the woodland periphery, Link and Rusl were soon able to lose the pursuant sentries. Underbrush and low boughs blanketed the Ordonians from view, and they delved deeper into Faron without grief from further enemies. As they had believed, Zant's-or rather, Ganondorf's-forces preferred not to journey deep into the mysteries of the darkened wood. But what was the evil lurking within Faron that would alert even the brute followers of such a powerful man to remain at a distance?

Indeed Faron had its monsters. The Diababa creature that Link had encountered from what seemed ages ago had been proof enough to support that, but even then, the long dead ogre and its cohorts who had captured Ilia, Colin, and Epona had ventured deep enough to find Ordon Village. Now, however, it was as if a sudden apprehension overcame the bokoblins even upon looking into the trees.

At least Link knew by this that Rusl had indeed been correct in assuming that something else sinister lurked within the sacred temple at the depth of the woods. He only now wished that he could remember the path so that he blacksmith would have no need to shadow his footsteps. When they at last slowed their horses to better gauge their surroundings and find the indirect road to the temple, Rusl looked over to Link.

The moment the youth had been dreading.

"It has been a while since we last ventured together into the forest, huh?" said Rusl with a conversational grin. At Link's silence, he sighed. "And how our world has changed." There seemed to have been a double-meaning in his words, but Link was unsure if Rusl had indeed also intended to imply that he had changed.

Rusl tossed a glance toward Link, and shook his head. Link had tried so hard to shield his true feelings from shining through that he had taken to observing every leaf that shifted in the breeze. In the course of doing so, however, it had reeled Rusl's attention onto him more overtly. "You know," the grey-bearded man started, "I understand that you must have grown used to watching every little detail, but there is someone with you this time."

Link could not help but break his determined concentration to send a look over at Rusl.

"What I mean to say, Link," he said, and he fumbled for a moment, trying to find the words, "is that you don't have to be alone. Why do you insist otherwise?"

Link passed another glance toward him, but turned away, ducking under a branch as they passed through a denser part of the wood. His bangs had shifted with the movement, and before Link had even realized that his hair had parted, he heard Rusl's voice. "What's that on your forehead? A scar?"

Suddenly uncomfortable as if he had at last been cornered in battle, Link defended himself. "It's a long story." With that, Link messed his hair once more, surrendering to the fact that there was no point in pretending it was not there.

"It's a long journey," Rusl shot back in his usual, friendly tone.

Link breathed hard through his nostrils, expelling a deep exhale thick of irritation. "I don't want to talk about it."

That answer seemed to satisfy the blacksmith at this point, for he raised a hand in his defense, showing Link in that small gesture that he would let the subject rest. They trudged on in silence for some time more before Rusl again became disturbed by the quietness between them. Perhaps it was that Rusl could feel the tension within him, Link thought.

Again the blacksmith spoke, "Have you had any word on Ilia's condition?"

Link had been expecting another inquiry as to his physical state, and the question regarding Ilia had been the last thing he had predicted would come from the man. After Link tossed an initial glance, infused of sorrow and pain and frustration at the mere mention of her name, Link looked back to the path. "No," he returned shortly.

"You shouldn't worry so much about her," advised Rusl.

Link shot him a narrow-eyed glance.

"You worry too much," he repeated innocently. "You must have faith that her memories will return." Link turned away again as Epona guided him over an unearthed tree root. "Link," called Rusl, steering his horse alongside the red mare so that he could speak directly with the youth. "When I saw you come into the bar that day, I saw that you had become a man. But your eyes were and are still hollow. What has happened to you? Where is the boy I once knew?"

Link replied plainly. "I am not a child anymore."

"Surely not," agreed Rusl. "There is great pain and fatigue in your eyes that comes only from knowing the true way of the world. And yet," he said, Link's total attention finally upon him, "I know that I still see the strength and courage of the boy I knew. I know your burden is great, and I only want to know that its weight is not crushing you."

Rusl's words stirred an understanding within Link then. His eyes flickered under the light of the sporadic beams that poked through the thick canopy above them. _That's why you trained me in battle. That's why you taught me about the many creatures of our world_…. "Why didn't you tell me?" demanded Link. "You knew of the mark that has branded me since my birth."

Rusl slouched within his saddle. He had known the day would come when Link asked this of him, but he had never thought his pupil would have regarded him with such a hostile tone. "It was something you needed to find out on your own. I did all I could to prepare you, but only you could find your path."

_No_, Link objected within his thoughts. _If you had told me of this long ago, just as you had about my parents, I would have been ready when the spirits instructed me on my task. Instead, you shadowed me, and for what? I have come close to death so many times. If I had known … I would have had more time to realize what my life would become._

Link tried to disregard the swelling fury within him. This was not who he was. Rusl had taken him in, cared for him, educated him. Why did he feel the desire to hate him for it then? Nevertheless, this was not the time to think on his personal relationship with Rusl. They were in the woods to locate another mirror shard, and that was the issue at hand on which Link needed to concentrate his full focus. They would need to cooperate in order to survive whatever ordeal awaited them within the grove.

Just as those thoughts arose, Rusl informed Link that they had arrived within the ancient wood. Link tried to push aside all thought of their conversation, but he could not help the sporadic pangs of agitation that bounced within him when he would look to the blacksmith.

"It's not far now," said Rusl in a hushed tone. "Follow closely."

As evening began to descend upon the canopies above, the aged man guided Link through the narrow and wide paths. Link could remember this place vaguely. He had stumbled through its mysteries on his way back from the temple, and he had felt so lost that he had known he would never have been able to escort himself back to where the Master Sword had once laid with merely his recollections of the winding, twisting, confusing paths. He wondered how Rusl had learned of the correct road through the ancient grove, but the question would only stir more conversation that would likely stray elsewhere.

Before long, they came upon the cracked spires of the once grand Temple of Time. Link paid closer attention to the details upon this visit, for the last time he had been here he had only been focused on leaving once the Master Sword had been gifted to him by the will of the gods. The temple had been flooded with overgrowth, vines and tree branches now having become a part of the construction that held together what remained of its walls. They entered into surely a once magnificent area that bore a faded Triforce symbol upon the moss-covered stones of the floor. To their right stone steps rose up to a higher, open level where what looked like a door rested at the center of a balcony. A large statue stood on the door's concealed side, and crumbled stones were attached to it, covered in verdant life. It was obvious that the high walls that it had once been partner to had long ago cracked apart over time. Perhaps it was that collection of stones that had collapsed onto the steps making the second level inaccessible, the dual path crushed and displaced from the pressure.

There were offshoots from the main area where the walls were cracked apart as if there were other rooms that had been constructed; however, it appeared to Link, that these other rooms were simply areas that the trees and plants had grown full, marking off sections to appear as though they had been part of the original design. Within one of these particular areas, Link thought he saw human figures lying upon the floor. For some reason he recalled the smell of rotting flesh and turned away from the sight, holding back the gagging sensation that crept up his throat.

Midna chanced a whisper from Link's shadow, hoping that the few meters that he sat apart from Rusl would buffer her voice. "Do you remember anything?"

Though Link had not expected to hear her voice during his partnership with Rusl, the sound of her light, nasally voice did not startle him. He continued looking in the opposite direction of Rusl, keeping up the appearance that he solely searched the area for signs of the Mirror Shard. "Images," he whispered back, and that was all he risked saying.

Off to the left was the doorway through which Link had exited from attaining the Master Sword. On opposing sides of the entry, the statue guardians remained at their posts, ever watchful with their unblinking eyes as if they truly were a part of the living world.

"Perhaps we should start by-" Rusl's voice faded from Link's ears just as he had begun speaking, and the blacksmith noted the youth's glazed eyes. Rusl followed his gaze, which stared ahead. Finding nothing out of the ordinary, he turned back to Link.

He knew that Link was not looking over the walls since his sight rested unflinchingly upon one location. Yet, he also deduced that the young man was not simply thinking on some other subject entirely, for his eyes did not appear unfocused as one's gaze normally did upon meditating a thought. "Link?" he called, trying to pry the young warrior from his state.

But Link did not respond to his attempt.

What lay before him was the familiar figure from which he had learned a lost art. Its hollow eyes stared back into his. The skeletal frame appeared as a ghost this time instead of its previous form as the walking dead. Coherent words could not escape his jaws, and Link assumed that it was due to the fact that it now rested among the netherworld.

No longer did the Shade border the living and the dead.

The ancient hero's voice came in a hush of whispers that converged upon Link from all corners of the ruined temple. Link tried hard to hear its voice, straining his Hylian ears to heed the words the shade so desperately tried to speak.

"Link?" The youth faintly heard his companion call his name once more, but his attention followed the ghost of the temple as it retreated into the chamber that housed the pedestal of the mighty Master Sword.

Link slid down from Epona and started after the soldier, but Rusl dismounted his steed as well and stepped up to the seemingly dazed Link. The blacksmith's face alone shook him from his objective, and he finally focused on his partner. "Did you not see it?" asked Link.

Rusl's brow furrowed in confusion and worry. "Nothing," he said plainly.

Link's lips pursed together in another state of bewilderment. As Rusl wondered how Link could claim to have seen anything abnormal, Link did not understand why the shade only chose to appear to him. Though, disregarding how strange it may have seemed, Link pushed on into the passage that carried him to the circularly shaped room. Rusl had no better course of action than to follow.

Once within the chamber, Link looked about and after a moment he again distinguished the fading figure of the armored skeleton. It hovered near to the pedestal, and as Link approached slowly, Rusl pursued at a distance.

The crimson eyes looked downward, and the warrior pointed a bony hand down to where Link had taken up the blade of evil's bane.

Somehow, Link understood without needing words, without needing a sign of any other kind. He looked down to the pedestal as he reached back for his saber. Sword in hand Link gazed back up to his mentor … but the helmed face had already faded back into the haze of the forest that had overcome the room.

Link knew what he had to do, though, and he twisted the blade within his grip so that its point faced the slit from where he had once lifted it free. Rusl held back his doubts, convinced that perhaps Link had seen something … or at least that by some divine knowledge he knew how to uncover the evil that nested here.

He plunged the Master Sword back down into his ancient home. A loud hum coursed from the niche and reverberated up the length of the blade. A melodic ring chimed from within the main room, and Link jerked his head back toward Rusl. Link's gaze was questioning, and he noted that Rusl, too, wore an expression deep of puzzled curiosity. Link drew up the legendary weapon again, and he and Rusl meandered cautiously back into the other room.

At first, neither of them could point out anything from which the sound may have come. The room appeared to be the same as it had been, but they were both quite sure that the sound they had heard had not been imagined. Rusl pulled his arms to rest upon his hips as a short sigh of frustration blew from his nose, but just as it appeared to the blacksmith that nothing in the room had changed, Link spotted something. There had been nothing added or changed.

Instead, something had been deleted.

Link pointed up toward the door that sat on the balcony. "Look. There was a statue on the other side."

Rusl's prolonged contemplation startled Link, making him think that perhaps the statue had also only appeared to him. But Rusl nodded. "And now it's gone."

They approached the smashed up stairways after tying the reins of their horses to nearby trees. There would be no way to ascend to the higher level by these steps, and Link considered using his clawshot on the balcony railing, but his logic disagreed. This temple was too old to trust the integrity of a meager railing. If walls had collapsed, the balcony would likely come apart at the mere impact of the hook.

Rusl called to him, and Link turned to see the man staring up at what remained of the walls. "These walls were made for climbing," he said.

Link thought it unlikely, however, and his raised brow was enough to press back Rusl's grin … but only for a moment. "Link, time has crushed this temple, but the forest has stabilized these walls. Look at it. It's beautiful!" His grin grew even livelier. "The vines that have weaved through these stones are holding it together. It's like the woods have provided us with a path."

Though Link thought Rusl staked too much faith in this oddity, it was, however, quite apparent that the vines had presented them with the perfect, natural ladder. Rusl had immediately reached out for the wall and begun his climb, and Link soon followed after. They tugged at the vines and branches, propelling themselves upward. Link found a certain joy within himself, as if his boyhood was again resurfacing. He could remember many a day when he had spent his time within Faron exploring the many routes and high places.

Once they had inched overtop the mass of stone that had collected as a barrier, Rusl and Link made their way carefully back down the wall on the other side of the obstruction. Rusl reached the second floor first, landing softly. Link, on the other hand, released his grip from the wall to fall the last few feet, plunking down onto the ground perfectly balanced. Link slapped the dirt from his hands with a clap as he turned to Rusl. The older man had stepped up to the door.

Link moved along the floor, grass having sprouted through the cracks, to reach his companion. The doors before them were nearly twice their size, and carved into its surface was the familiar eagle figure that was associated to the ancient age of the Hyrule Kingdom. Yet below its geometrically-shaped talons rested an inscription in a language that not only could Link _not_ read … but he had never before seen this type of text. By the pensive look on Rusl's face he, too, did not understand the meaning.

Nevertheless, this was their only clue, and Link stepped up to the door, inches from its dented majesty. Rusl said nothing in objection when he saw Link reach out to touch its surface.

The feel of it was cool, almost refreshing, and a whirl of some strange power resonated within the door, coursing back through Link's veins. He closed his eyes at the pulsating sensation, taking in the radiant light that seemed to pour through the stone and within him. He could sense Rusl behind him and could hear the short gasp that escaped him. Link's breath caught and his eyes popped open. A blue light flooded through the symbols, and once its shine had dissipated, the doors opened outward.

Link stepped back as the doors squealed and came to rest at their widest arc. Both he and Rusl stepped up to the wonderment that assailed their vision in that moment. Beyond the opening a grayish tint colored the room. They exchanged a look and at once stepped to the side to peer around the doorway. The room below was still in disrepair and in full color, but when they again stood at the ancient doors, it was as if by magic that the Temple of Time shined brightly in all its glory.

Without wanting to fully understand how exactly it had happened, Link realized that he had, in fact, opened a doorway into the past.

He corked the remaining hesitation within him and plunged into the temple beyond the gateway. Rusl followed warily. Upon entering the doorway, a white haze clouded around them as if sucking at their bodies. Link felt as though his body was being groped from all sides, and a hot, sick feeling attacked him. Yet, an arctic blast of energy seemed to hum within him at the same moment. Before he could truly comprehend the range of feelings that stabbed at him, the pressure that had been ripping and pushing into him had vanished.

He and Rusl stood within the grand hall of the Temple of Time. In all its wonder, in all its grandeur, the stones glowed brightly upon the many thick beams of light that poured into the hall from gigantic windows. They descended the staircase before them and stepped slowly along. The walls rose high, and the ceiling showed no signs of the age that it would endure. Link gazed toward the windows, perhaps in the unconscious hope of glimpsing the Hyrule Kingdom of the old ages. Yet, there seemed nothing but the intense light beyond their frames.

They came to the Triforce symbol on the floor and took a moment to breathe in the magnificent detail of the markings. The golden triangles were painted within a circle containing the most lavish and delicate of coiling design patterns Link had ever seen. He then looked to the two statues that stood ever watchful. Their bodies having been rooted to these positions so long ago amazed Link that they still retained an untouched strength in the present.

The entire magic of the place enchanted Link. It was as if he had stepped into a dream world.

He looked to the passage between the two statues and passed a glance to Rusl. He met the youth's gaze, nodding. Simultaneously, they stepped into the corridor and walked through it as it brought them to another set of stairs. They climbed these together, coming at last into the chamber that was a legend within itself. Stained-glass windows lined the walls, the light passing through them infusing the room with an otherworldly glow.

Link stepped up to the raised pedestal, and again prepared to strike the stone. It seemed only logical that the same process would call forth another path for them to follow, as the erasing of the statue had done. It was worth a try at any rate.

He plunged the Master Sword into its ancient resting place, and this time a power from within the blade itself stirred and channeled into the stones as a bright light emanated up from the pedestal and the steel of the sword. Before their eyes, a staircase emerged from the front of the hexagonal shape of the platform that the pedestal rested upon. The steps appeared as if on cue, one after the next, rising higher and higher until finally the greenish stairs had created a path leading toward one of the stained-glass windows. They hung there by some enchantment.

Regardless of the foreboding feeling that sailed through their nerves, Link and Rusl approached the first step, testing its solidity. Satisfied that their appearance had not been devised of some wickedness, they climbed their length, and upon coming to the glass … it vanished. It had only been an illusion of some kind.

Link had been through so much in the past, encountered many horrors. And now, standing at the very threshold of the past, warnings and objections barked from the deepest recesses of his mind. He felt-as he stepped through the door that had been veiled from sight-that he would somehow regret entering its secret rooms.

His footfalls seemed to echo the ominous feeling which screamed out from his very soul.


	33. Chapter 31 Part 1

**Chapter 31: Dominion over the Ancient: PART 1**

Once Link and Rusl had passed through the secret passage, they were once again met by a fleet of stairs that receded down through a long hallway. They reached a massive room at the base of the last flight of steps; the high walls bent inward as they rose, meeting in the fashion of a dome. Stretching upward from the sides of the room were more stairs that winded back and above the opening from where the men had just entered.

Yet, within the second that Link and Rusl entered the room, their attention had been more directed toward what lay at the center of the space. Sitting upon the stone tiled floor was a giant, golden bell. At least, it appeared to have the same shape as a bell. Whether or not the ornament had any definite purpose was impossible to distinguish. Etchings much like that found on the statue guardians stretched across its entire surface.

Just as Link had stepped up to investigate its wonders further, Rusl had moved out further into the room. He called back to Link, "Over here."

Link stripped himself from the bell and stepped up alongside the older man. A doorway stood before them, the royal crest sculpted into the block above the sealed path. Intricate line and square designs were carved into the door. To the sides of the obstruction were alcoves, yet only the one on the right was occupied. A large and rather excessively detailed statue rested silently within its ancient home. Its torso was much bulkier than its bottom half, and it grasped a fancily chiseled hammer raised before its eye line.

"It seems that there is supposed to be another of these here," said Rusl, pointing to the empty niche. "In the grove and in the temple entry, there were matching ones on either side."

Link nodded. "So, all we need to do is find this statue and bring it back somehow."

Rusl noted the tone of doubt in Link's voice, and he understood his concern. How indeed were they supposed to move a statue so large that surely weighed more than either of them ten times over?

"We'll worry about that when the time comes," dismissed the bearded man.

Link had to admit that he had found his uncertainty of the situation surprising. Usually he would have been the one to respond in such the way that Rusl just had. Of course, his laid-back, pessimistic partner was forced to hide throughout this excursion. He had always sliced straight through her skeptical tone with ease, but now that she remained within his shadow, he wondered if she was somehow voicing her disbeliefs through him. The thought unnerved him, and he pushed away all considerations regarding this possibility as he followed alongside Rusl up one of the grand stairways. It was simply an unrealistic thought. To be able to move a statue as large as the one in the chamber now below them would be an impossible feat if there was not some other means of relocating it than by their strength alone.

They came to the base of another short incline of steps that led up to a bolted doorway. Link stared at the door without any sign of movement for a solid few moments before he spoke, brow furrowed. "Something's wrong."

Rusl, who had stepped forward, stopped immediately and looked back to Link. "Yes, the door is locked. Come help me."

"No," said Link, turning about and walking toward the edge of the balcony area.

"No?" repeated Rusl, as Link scanned the room below. Rusl had thought he had simply refused his help, but….

"That's not what I meant," corrected Link.

"What is it then?" he asked, seeing the lines on Link's face that indicated he was trying to fit together pieces of a puzzle.

"It doesn't make any sense," he said. At Rusl's still clueless expression, the youth elaborated. "There aren't any guards. Why aren't there any guards?"

"Remember, Link, we are in the past," replied Rusl as if to wave off the young man's concern.

Link turned to him then, "And yet we have come looking for a fragment of the Mirror of Twilight, a mirror that Zant broke, a king that we suppose could have hidden such a piece here. If he had planted the piece here, why did he not also station guards as an extra precaution?"

Rusl fingered his finely trimmed beard, "I see your point."

That uneasy feeling that had followed Link into the secret passage of the Temple of Time rose within him again and a fear pulsed within him. It was not a dread that concerned his wellbeing, however. Instead, it was Rusl for whom he worried. His personal issues with the man had been drowned, and it was only the worry of bringing him into unsaid terrors that Link spoke. "Are you sure you want to come with me?"

Rusl fixed a surprised eye upon Link. He knew that Link had unresolved matters with him, some that perhaps Rusl did not even realize to be as troubling as they truly were to the youth, but the hostility and resentment within Link's voice with which he had previously regarded the man had suddenly disappeared. He was impressed at how the boy he had know for so long could so quickly dismiss his own needs or wants so that he could move on to more pressing matters. Nevertheless, Rusl was not to be swayed.

"It's as I said, Link. This time, someone has your back."

Rusl was not sure if it was surprise at the comment or a change in Link's view toward him, but the thin line that passed for a small smile reassured Rusl.

Without another word Link drew his blade, and, lacking any sign of forced concentration, a glimmer of red encapsulated the Master Sword, producing a faint hum. Link lashed out at the chains covering the door in the same moment, and the thick steel fell to the floor in a clump. The veiling color then dispersed from the surface of the blade, and he returned it to its sheath. Rusl came forward then to assist Link in lifting the heavy door. As they pulled it upward, mechanical clicks vibrated from the door frame and through the mass as it crept upward, assuring them that if they lost their grip it would only fall as far as the point at which the previous clack had sounded.

When they had raised the door far enough to allow them reasonable entrance, they carefully released their grasp, being sure that their feet were not underneath its weight in case the door did not remain in place. Yet, the door did not budge when they stepped back to look onto the entryway.

Link peered into a darker corridor, and hid a grimace.

It had not been that Link had minded that there were no guards. It was simply that their absence would likely prove that far worse terrors dwelt within.

As Link stepped through the opening, Rusl following close behind, a musty air greeted him. A sour stench clouded the darkened hall, and, with it, a wave of nausea attacked his stomach. An eerie unnaturalness had settled into the temple, making the atmosphere seem abnormally stiff. The ancient walls seemed to watch Link and his companion closely, as if gauging whether or not to lunge outward to capture them within their stones for the rest of time. That was how Link felt … as if he were being swallowed deeper with each step he took down the hall.

Neither Link nor Rusl did anything to begin a conversation, and further down the long corridor, windows laden with intricate tracery began to scarcely line the walls. Rays of light peeked through their patterns, shedding small amounts of light onto their path. It was at the first pane that the hall began to wind upward slowly, long and wide stairs spotting the ground and making it more difficult to proceed along their way. They found themselves stumbling more often, their toes often hitting the edges of the stairs, and they were forced to slow their pace even more.

Link's thoughts passed back to the strange, golden bell as they ascended the winding path, but he shifted his attention from the decoration. Trying to understand the tastes of the ancient ones who had built this temple had nothing to do with why he and Rusl had come. Rusl had sensed something ill over the forests since Link had taken the Master Sword, and it was Link's full hope that they would locate another piece of the mirror.

He looked to Rusl then and wondered…. Would Rusl or any of the others persist in following Link into the Twilight Realm? They all knew of his plan now, and the Group had been successful in joining with him once out of three attempts. Though he did not much like that they volunteered to venture with him into the dangers of such temples, Link accepted their help. However, once it came time for his battle with Zant-to stop Ganondorf from returning to Hyrule-Link would not allow them to risk their lives so foolishly.

Link at last reached the end of the path, stepping into a hexagonally shaped junction adjoined to another path off to the left. He paid the bell in one of the corners little attention. Instead, he had instinctively peered into the darkness that shrouded the next path. Seeing still no threats, he passed under the archway. However, when a mechanical click sounded beneath Link's foot, both he and Rusl were too late to act. As soon as Link's foot landed, the stone tile sunk into the floor slightly. Just as Link turned back to Rusl, golden bars slammed shut between them in the doorway.

Link grabbed onto the barrier, pulling in vain at their iron weight. Grinding his teeth in frustration Link banged his fists into the bars and backed away slightly, pacing back and forth. He could have gone on without Rusl … it would have been his perfect opportunity…. But he hated the thought of leaving him alone within the temple. If anything were to happen to him he would blame himself forever.

Finally, with a grunt, both at having been tricked and having to let Rusl continue on with him, he called through the pockets in the bars. "Look for some kind of switch," he said, as he also searched around the immediate area of the gate. "There has to be a way to open them."

Rusl felt around the walls and inspected the ground, but all that he seemed capable of finding were cobwebs and cracks. He stood at the gate peering through the golden poles. By the look on Link's face, he had not been able to find a means of reopening the barrier either. Just then a low, humming growl sounded, and an icy chill raked up Link's spine as his eyes widened. He felt slight tremors reverberating from the ground through his boots. Rusl's expression of surprise, confusion, and fear willed Link to turn about. Dim blue lights approached him. Most were jagged and straight lines; however, there were also two glowing orbs side-by-side.

Link unsheathed his saber, and when the stomping figure came into better light, it took on the shape of a blackened statue. _How…?_ Link's thoughts on how a statue could possibly move were cut off abruptly as it closed the distance between them and cast a huge hammer down in front of it, aiming at Link. He leapt to the side of the narrow hall just in time to avoid the instrument that instead crushed the stones where he once stood.

Its movements were stiff due to the fact that it was made of stone, and it moved rather slowly in relation to its bulky size that skirted down and widened toward the bottom in a cone like shape. Yet, its one tiny hand packed a powerful swing, and with each attempt it took in pounding Link, it splintered the floor and sprayed the broken pieces of stone all over the passage. Link stumbled down the passage to gain distance between him and the armed statue, but he tripped on a tile, and it, too, clicked under his weight.

Just as he righted himself, another gate behind him hurled across the corridor, closing him in with the hostile statue. Link spent a split second in an attempt to pry the bars from the wall, but the statue was once again upon him. He raced again to the other side of his new prison, ducking under the swing of the moving sculpture. Rusl had frantically returned to his search for some kind of hidden switch.

Still unable to help Link, Rusl turned to him with a helpless expression. Link twisted about. The statue had lost no time in regaining its towering position near Link. A realization sprung within Link as he remained immobile. Though the magicked mass of stone quickly removed its hammer from the floor with each missed stroke, it lacked speed in casting its hits. Link waited until the monstrous block was directly upon him, its arm lifted high…. Its colors seemed to sharpen in satisfaction at seeing him unable to evade, however, just as its hammer rained down … Link bolted to the side.

The hammer landed with a shattering crash as it broke through the golden bars where Link had just been standing moments ago. Rusl was free and the statue, oddly, seemed dazed, stiffly twisting about in the rubble of the gate, searching for its prey. Once it located Link sprinting across the fallen barrier, it followed … angrily. Its growl echoed in the chamber as it pursued them.

Link and Rusl split to separate corners of the room, and as it followed Link, Rusl cautiously circled the foe in the hopes of isolating any possible weak point in its construction.

"Link!" called the older man, as Link rolled out of the way of yet another pounding strike. The youth cast him a quick glance. "Keep it distracted!"

_Easy enough for you to say._ Link pulled himself up from the cracked floor and kept the sculpture's gaze focused upon him as he moved, giving Rusl complete freedom to progress unnoticed by the stone beast.

The blacksmith had in fact laid eyes upon a large, blue crystal set in its backside. He moved in on the statue as it continually attacked Link, missing each time. Yet with each time it failed to hit Link, it would jerk violently and twist around to once again face Link. This gave Rusl some difficulty in reaching its rear. Noticing this, Link remained in place for as long as he could … the hammer coming down upon him.

Those extra few moments had allowed Rusl enough time to dance around the creature and slash out the glimmer of its sparkling crystal. As soon as Link heard the shatter he hurled himself away from the dropping mallet.

The statue quaked, its life-force depleted from its stone body. Its mass jerked about in its stationary position, and it was then that both Link and Rusl noticed the danger in its movements. Rusl was already racing away as Link called, "Run!"

Together, they dove into the path that had been Link's cell. In the last moments, the blue lines that served as the statue's veins flashed in colors of green and white and yellow. Instantly, an explosion boomed within the room, echoing down the halls as its pieces blasted in all directions of the room, spearing into the floor and the walls. Link and Rusl gathered themselves up and peaked back into the room moments later. All that remained was a blackened floor and pieces of its remains littering the room.

Relived, Link then turned back to their next problem. The other gate.

Rusl looked as well and just shook his head with a grin. "At least one good thing came from all that."

A large chunk of the statue had collided into the gate and given them free passage to the hall beyond.

Link kept his reply to himself. _No. We're just back to where we began. An open hallway with likely even more traps through it._ There were likely even more of those armored statues lining the walls further down the hall, and with only spotted light they would gain little forewarning save for the glow of their blue eyes.

Nevertheless, despite the fact that Link did not much like the idea of traveling blind-seeing as he had not brought his lantern-he followed behind Rusl.

They had barely progressed two steps before they heard a strange sound emanating from the room behind them. Link peered into the junction and he heard the oddest chattering and fluttering noises, but something in Link's memory was awakened. He knew that sound … knew it quite well from all his excursions into Faron Woods.

Just as Link was turning to push Rusl into motion, a swarm of flapping keese swirled down around them, sailing down from their nest in the ceiling of the room. Link and Rusl batted at their clawed feet and sharp teeth as they circled about their bodies. They raced down the hall, blind to all the dangers that the darkness held secret. All they knew were the tiny bodies trying to tear into them for disturbing their slumber.

They spotted a doorway ahead in the patched brightness and through the ripping claws. They skidded to a halt and grabbed at the bottom of the door, lifting it as they tried to make their nerves numb to the small scratches with which the keese littered their faces and bodies. In moments they had lifted the door high enough and they raced into the next room as most of the keese followed.

Link and Rusl once again dug their feet into the floor, sliding to a halt just before plummeting off the side of a broken ledge. The keese, having more room to flutter about in the huge room, flew past the pair. However, most of the winged creatures were caught moments later in the silky nets that covered almost the entire chamber.

They had entered into a three story, circular chamber wherein spider webs littered the floors, walls, ceilings, and windows. The grand stairway to their left had been chewed away by the darkness that had infused it for so long, and the path had been reconstructed so that only one species could traverse its length … fuzzy, brown-legged, one-eyed spiders. The arachnids-half the size of Link-skittered all about the chamber and the extensive webbing that shrouded the room. Some of the spiders drooped down on their silk lines, the pinchers covering their mouths clacking excitedly.

It was clear that the flesh of new prey thrilled them, many racing across their webs to tend to the winged victims caught in their traps. Link and Rusl stepped carefully as they inched backward from the smashed floor before them. Link assumed it had once been a catwalk that had connected their ledge to the circular platform in the center of the room, for there were demolished signs of other such footbridges at other angles of the platform.

The keese that had not been caught unawares by the change of environment flapped wildly back toward the entrance. Though some rammed into shadowed traps, most of those that remained were able to evade the arena of the arachnids, fleeing back to their nest. With their presence banished from the room, the spiders concentrated on the other intruders.

_No retreat for us,_ thought Link with a frown as he looked to their right. The grand stairway continued at this point, but it was battered and crumbled in places. What space remained was mostly covered in the silky grids of the spiders' designs. The sight trigged a memory from long ago, when nothing mattered to Link save for rescuing Malo from the mysteries of the woods. He did not much care to be ensnared in another sticky trap as he had on that day, but the stairs were the only route forward accessible to Rusl and him.

Just as the several spiders surrounding them lunged forward, Link pivoted to the right, slashing his saber across the dark backside of the one nearest him. Rusl followed closely behind Link's surefooted steps as the youth navigated the stairs between the crumbled stones, glossy webs, and biting arachnids. He stepped in all the same places as Link where possible, for at times the spiders would crowd in Link's wake. Rusl either leapt over them over raked his sword through their legs and bodies.

When Link had finally reached the next and last level, he bolted straight toward the open doorway, but he had spotted the trap before he climbed the last step. He only hoped that Rusl would see it as well. With the creatures scuttling toward them at an increasingly swift pace, there was no time to call back to him.

With practiced agility Link stepped past the block in the floor that would have triggered another trap, and as if by luck or skill, Rusl missed it, too. As soon as Link had crossed through the doorway and saw Rusl race past him, he twisted about, grabbing a small statue head from a large plinth set into the wall. He lobbed the heavy stone toward the approaching spiders, and the block landed on the slightly raised tile, tripping a golden gate to shoot from the cavity in the door frame before it rolled away to tumble over the broken stairwell.

The shining bars were set close enough together so that none of the creatures could press themselves through to reach Link and Rusl. There had been one unfortunate spider that had nearly slid past the opening; however, once the barrier had erupted, its bars had inserted themselves into the wall through the body of the creature, snaring it and producing a wretched squeal from its alien mouth as it died.

Grateful that his improvised plan had worked in their favor, Link took the moment to catch his breath. Rusl was again alongside him then, having turned back after realizing that Link had no longer been with him.

"Worse than guards?" asked a panting Rusl.

Link let out a short chuckle at the blacksmith's attempt at some levity. "Slightly," he nodded, wiping the sweat from his brow and lips as he straightened his posture. Suddenly his adventurist gene had kicked back in.

"You know," the older man said, still in that teasing tone, "we're going to have to come back this way."

Link agreed with a nod, watching as the spiders slowly retreated from their unattainable meal.

"That gate is going to pose a problem," Rusl pointed out.

But Link shrugged off the comment, retorting with: "Well, then I suppose we'll worry about that when the time comes." He traipsed off down the new corridor open to their exploration, and Rusl grinned.

There was the boy he knew.

===============

After a twisting network of corridors, Rusl and Link entered at last into another junction. Within the room were several walls that did not connect directly with the ceiling. Each wall panel had been severed into two sections, wherein one met with the top of the room, the bottom half seemed secured only by the pillars that joined the walls together.

"What's this?" Link thought aloud, searching the walls of the dead end.

"There must be a way through here," Rusl said. "It would make no sense for us to progress this far only to turn back."

"Unless a dead end was exactly where Zant wanted us to end up," suggested Link bitterly. He tightened his fist around the hilt of his sword, for if that were the case, there would likely be another ambush waiting to be tripped.

"This place was built by our ancestors, Link," reminded Rusl. "If Zant truly designed that our path should end here then perhaps he was fooled as well. Look at these walls, Link. There must be a way through."

Heaving a stressed sigh, Link turned back to gaze about the room, sheathing his sword. He could feel Rusl's gaze linger upon him for a moment, but when Link moved forward to one of the walls, he heard Rusl's cautious footsteps as they echoed over to another section. Just as with the golden gates, Rusl searched the surrounding wall for some kind of switch or lever.

Link also sought some such device; however, just as he ran his fingers down the corner where the obstacle and the wall had been fused together, a thought occurred to him. If switches had been absent from the gates' designs why would these barriers be any different? Link's attention flew upward to the open split that divided the wall.

_How cryptically obvious_, smiled Link.

After gauging that the opening was at least four meters high, Link turned to a pillar. The simplistic designs that had been carved into its surface would offer the perfect assistance. He found two evenly spaced handholds on its wide body, and after gathering one foothold he boosted himself upward to latch onto the two spaces he had seen. This awkward movement had drawn Rusl's attention, but seeing as the blacksmith held back any comment, Link supposed that he had identified his intent.

Link climbed the face of the column until he reached the opening. He shifted his footholds so that he could pivot his waist to peer through the tear. Beyond was another room, rectangular in shape, yet consisting of the same barriers and gates that had so annoyingly impeded their journey already. He called down his findings to Rusl, but the sight of a glimmering green crystal cut him short. Rusl questioned his sudden silence, yet Link's mind raced and muffled the older man's voice.

The gemstone had been set high into the surface of the wall, as if it were a precious ornament. However, Link knew by some instinct that this was the switch for which they had been looking. He need only prove it by striking its surface somehow.

He hung there for a moment, going over in his head what possible items he could use to throw through the opening in a precise line while confined to the restricted movement that the pillar brought. Using his bow was out of the question. He would need both of his hands to operate his bow and one more to hold onto his support. The only option he had was to use one of his acquired daggers. At least he had chosen to climb the pillar to the right of the fracture, enabling him to use his trained left hand to cast the weapon.

Link pulled the dirk from the backside of his belt and concentrated closely on his target as he angled his hand. He had to swing in a powerful arch to combat the distance and the small space he had been forced to work through … and he had to aim exactly. If he missed he would only be able to attempt one more throw.

Without further delay Link cast his dagger through the opening with amazing speed. It chimed against the crystalline surface, and he grinned despite the pain of his twisted position. As the gem flickered a crimson color the walls surrounding them began to quake. Rusl called for Link to dismount the column, and he did so without hesitation. Either he had successfully triggered the switch that would allow them to proceed, or … he had inadvertently prompted the very ambush he had feared was contained within this room.

The color drained from Link's features as a stone wall began to close over the opening that had guided them there. So, it was a trap after all.

Link and Rusl raced to the closing passage, but the stone had sealed the way back before they could squeeze through. They drew their blades simultaneously and turned back to the room, grim expressions pasted to their faces, ready to battle whatever surprise lay in store for them. Yet the true reality of the situation dazed them more than the worst that they had imagined.

Contrary to what both of them believed had come of Link's discovery, the crystal had not caused an ambush to break out within their confinement. Instead, as the one doorway had closed … three others had revealed themselves. With further, cautious investigation, Link and Rusl found that one passage dead ended not far down and another had collapsed in on itself.

_I suppose that leaves our last alternative_, thought Link as they stood before the now unblocked entry into the very room within which the scarlet colored crystal hummed with life. As they stepped within the next room, the details of its construction were imprinted on their minds in one swift glance. The rectangular room held more of the golden gates, but these were more permanently structured, completely closing off a section of the back wall where another of the large bells was imprisoned … and his dagger.

The purpose of the bells began to plague Link's mind upon seeing this particular one shielded from the rest of the room. Where they some kind of religious artifacts? Ceremonial in nature? He doubted now that they were strictly for ornamental intentions. He was convinced they had some type of function. But as Rusl motioned him on, Link decided now was perhaps not the best time to reflect on the matter.

The right half of the room consisted of two more of the moveable walls, one straight ahead and the other off to their right, and Link was only thankful that this time he had the room to utilize his bow. Nocking an arrow he pulled back as hard as he dared on the bowstring. The arrowhead would need a great deal of force behind its feathered tail if it was going to have the same effect as the hard surface of the dagger and not just simply bounce away.

As soon as the shaft flew away it smacked into the surface of the crystal with a satisfying thwack, and as the arrow fell from its target, the gem again pulsed with its thick emerald hue. The entrance sealed itself once more as the other two sections peeled away to reveal two more passages. The corridor ahead seemed as logical a choice as the one on the right, but there was one difference. Whereas the one before them simply led directly forward, the other was adjoined to another room much like the previous two. Though it was a small room, there were two further moveable panels on its left-hand wall. It seemed perfect sense to explore its depths first.

After a short discussion with Rusl, the blacksmith agreed, and they moved into the next room. Link turned back to face the opening, readying another arrow. It sailed off after he had taken careful aim and struck the crystal once more. The brimming red color was the last Link saw before the wall before him shut away all light.

A tremor of uncertainty brought an icy chill over his mind in that moment. Link tried to bat away the nagging feelings, but their persistence diseased his thoughts, and as he turned to watch the two passages open, his apprehension fell over him even thicker … just as cold and dark as the rainy night when he had taken up the Master Sword as his blade.

They peered down the dual passages lit dimly from a brightness on the other side of their length. As far as they could tell the side-by-side corridors led to the same area, so they chose the nearer and ventured slowly through it. Halfway through, an eerie quiet descended upon them, and a tinge of fear sprouted within Link as he realized they were walking down a hall flanked by a row of the armored statues.

He looked to Rusl. He had noticed it as well, but for the moment, the hammer-wielding statues did not stir with sapphire life. Link willed himself to remain calm, for just as his senses had detected signs of possible traps before, such perceptions had usually been cast away as merely his imagination producing the worst possible scenarios which did not essentially come into actuality.

Although, he could not shake the feeling that the way back through this corridor would not be as easy as entering.

The room they crossed into was the first that had not been ravaged in any form by the same ruined stated that ailed the other rooms and corridors. The high ceiling domed inward, a circular sky light cut out of the center. A waterfall of sunlight poured in through the hole, and yet another of the bells was stationed directly below the shaft. The only other source of light within the room funneled in through a single window frilled with the same embellishments as those throughout the temple.

Before this very window was a sight that both Link and Rusl were pleased to accept.

There, sitting upon the niche in front of the window was the statue that had gone missing from the massive grand entrance. It sat in all its ancient grace, but there was only one problem … that which Link had initially pointed out to Rusl. How would they retrieve the massive statue … much less return it to its original standing?

That was when Link turned his attention once more to the bell, studying its etchings as well as those carved upon the statue. The designs were distinctly similar. Link was not precisely sure, but he now understood one thing. The statue and the bells were connected in some way, yet what strung them together … he still could not put his finger on it.

Link took one step further into the room … and he regretted it soon after.


	34. Chapter 31 Part 2

**Chapter 31: Dominion over the Ancient: PART 2**

Some unnoticed force had suddenly knocked full into Link and flung him meters from where he had once stood in front of Rusl. Winded and sprawled sideways on the floor, Link choked as he regained his breath. He sat up holding the side of his stomach as he looked toward Rusl. The blacksmith rushed toward him, saber bared and ready to fend off the unannounced attacker. Rusl helped Link to his feet as he breathed out the thudding pain in his side.

Link grabbed for his sword even before the pulse of the hit had completely faded from his body; if there was an enemy bound on taking their lives, tending to such minute pain would do Link little good. Keeping his breathing steady to fizzle out the tinge quicker, Link joined Rusl in sweeping over the chamber as they stood back-to-back.

Rusl whispered back to Link a moment later, and the youth looked in his direction. Near the bell there stood a dark figure facing away from them, bulky in its heavy armor and at least a body taller. As if had sensed their eyes upon it, the figure turned about in one slow menacing movement. A dark knight, barely a gap in its shell of body armor, faced them, eyes absent behind an ominous, metal-plumed helmet. It held up a circular shield on its left forearm and flashed the long blade it held in its other hand.

Desperately wanting to destroy this foe before Rusl had a chance to move in and be harmed, Link flicked his finger over the clasp of his cloak and let it drift to the floor as he reached back to slide his shield onto his right gauntlet. He stepped alongside Rusl. No matter how much he might inwardly resent the man, he wished death on no one save those in servitude to Ganondorf.

Familiarizing himself with the balanced weight of his shield on his arm and the recovery of his full agility from shedding his cloak, Link shifted his weight back and forth from one leg to the other as he sized up his foe. Link had had practice in swordplay more frequently than Rusl in the past weeks, and it was Link who moved in first. He sailed first to one side of his opponent and then to the other as he memorized how the knight shifted in defense. It knew Link was studying its movements, and it struck, sending a forceful blow whipping through the air toward Link's head.

Link did not have to be able to see Rusl to know that, by some paternal instinct, he had inaudibly heaved a fearful gasp for his safety. But the blacksmith need not concern himself, for Link reacted to the strike with precise timing, ducking under the blade when it should have passed through him. After the failed attack, Link saw Rusl approach out of the corner of his eye. Link rolled to the right while crouched to bring the knight's attention fully onto him while he opened its backside fully to his comrade.

But the knight was extremely perceptive and it seemed to be able to feel Rusl's approach in the undetectable tremors in the ground caused by his quick steps. It wheeled around and reared down its massive sword just as Rusl struck out. Fortunately, Rusl was still swift enough in his older age to evade the coming blow, jumping back as far as he could without sacrificing his footing.

As the knight had twisted about, Link had noticed the leather straps that fastened its armor to its under armor. Link charged in immediately and slashed out at the nearest part of the knight. In an instant, its left greave fell away to the floor. Before Link could blink, however, the knight had turned upon him, and Link was again struck and sent flying across the room. He landed hard and dazed against the wall, a long but shallow cut crossing over his right collar.

Link could see the blurred image of Rusl stepping into a fiery dance of blades with the knight as he lay momentarily motionless. The memory of once seeing Rusl beaten and bloodied lying on his bed recalled Link to his senses. That had been a time that had pained Link not only seeing the man in such pain but also watching helplessly as Uli's emotions suffered from the strain of care and worry.

_No_, said Link to beat back the haze clouding his eyes. _He has a wife. A son. A newborn by now... I will not … let you take him away from them..._.

Link pushed himself up from the floor, only temporarily using the wall as a support. Seconds after he once again stood, a growl gurgled in his throat, and he sprinted toward the attacking knight. Rusl, avoiding a blow from his enemy, was startled to see Link's lunge at the knight. Link had drawn its full attention, and he and the warrior stepped into a gruesome exchange of blows. As the youth attacked at its armor, it continually batted away his blade, used its shield to block him, or simply stepped out of the way. When the knight assaulted Link, he evaded by ducking, sidestepping, or somersaulting backwards, and Link would then engage in his own barrage of thrusts and slices once again.

The battle continued on in this fashion for some time, and Link began to tire from the constant strain of remaining one step ahead of his foe's lethal blade. Yet, by this time more than half of the knight's armor had been cleaved away to clank unceremoniously against the cold ground, for as Link had maintained its watchful eye, Rusl had been able to slip in quite a few unguarded strikes before it was able to parry away further harm.

Though, the damage had been done. Link had absorbed its style of fighting, and he could clearly see each attack and defense before the knight moved. Before long, Link and Rusl were able to strip the knight of its heavy armor to reveal its coat of simple maroon and gray under armor. Now it moved much more swiftly, and either in anger or determination, it let its shield fall from its arm as it threw its massive blade toward Link, who arched backward just in time to evade the flying sword. It landed with a jarring clang in the wall behind him, and the knight yanked out its slimmer secondary saber.

Forced to move even lighter on their toes, Link and Rusl were able to maintain their offensive ground against the knight for most of the ensuing battle. Now they were able to parry against its blade rather than dodge since the knight's new sword was not as deadly in its weight as the last.

When the knight was able to attack, its swings were short and focused blows. There was no fancy or amazing technique to the way it moved about so efficiently, but that in itself impressed Link. Its arm seemed so precise … yet it was not enough to best both Link and Rusl.

As Link stepped to the right to draw its attack and block the hard blow that ensued, Rusl plunged in. Seeing Rusl's quick movement, Link pounded his blade against the knight's so that, in using its strength to combat the assault, it did not see the older man coming.

The next image presented to Link was that of Rusl's blade piercing through the chest of the dark knight. There was a moment of silence before the warrior's body stiffened and fell to the floor, and as Link gazed down at the defeated enemy, he took that moment to reclaim his calm.

Rusl stepped over to him. The blacksmith merely clasped his shoulder for a moment before walking past him toward the statue. A wave of relief washed over Link. He sheathed his blade and returned his shield to its place. The battle with the dark knight had ended … and Rusl was still all right. _Halfway there_, sighed Link as he walked past the dead knight to retrieve his cloak.

Link picked up the black cloth and tossed it around his shoulders once more as he started toward Rusl. _And as long as he remains safe_…. Link's last thought trailed off as his eyes rolled over something among the knight's armor.

What was that?

He crouched down to the plates of armor beside the warrior, clueless as to what Rusl was saying to him just then. Link reached out and picked up a staff from between the chunks sprawled across the floor. He gripped it with one hand at the center where a handhold had been constructed. His other fingers traced along its length. The staff was intricately carved, but it did not feel like wood as he had expected. It felt more like some sort of metal, and there was a vibration that hummed within its length that Link could barely discern. The top of the staff was formed by two crisscrossing half circles, a flattened spot in the center of their junction.

"Link," the youth finally heard from within his trance. "Link?"

Shaking himself from his state, Link rose and turned to meet Rusl.

"What's that?" his comrade asked.

"I'm not sure," Link replied. He waved it through the air, feeling the hum within the staff massaging his palm. The vibrations seemed to spike each time he moved it, and so he swung it, testing it. However, just as he did so, a ball of yellow green light ignited within the nest of the half circles. Sparks of the same green color flickered at the tips of the staff, energizing the orb.

He was not sure what the staff had been intended to do, but seeing the statue towering over them from the window … he had a hunch.

Link swung the staff toward the statue, and the orb of light was launched from the device. It smacked squarely against the chest of the stone figure above them, and in an instant, a yellowish glow lit up its engravings and it raised its arms higher. The sight much reminded Link of the armored statue that had brimmed with blue life.

Rusl exchanged a glance with the youth.

Link had not truly expected to find a means of relocating such a massive statue, but even from his first encounter with a living statue he should have predicted that there would have been some mystical way of transporting the figure. But then again….

It was not moving.

_Why isn't it moving?_ Link wondered. He asked this of Rusl, but he was also puzzled by its inactivity.

Link looked about as if searching for an answer within the walls. But the only good that did was to draw in a second question. The bell in the middle of the floor had risen as if by magic. It, too, now shimmered with the colors of the staff, and it had exposed a platform beneath it.

He started for the bell … but halted after one step.

The floor had shaken, and, immediately, Rusl grabbed his shoulder.

"What was that?" asked Link.

Rusl motioned toward the statue. "When you moved, it moved."

Link's eyebrow rose. Indeed the statue appeared closer to the edge, but Link had to see such a feat for himself. He took another step toward the bell as he continued looking up at the figure. In the same moment that he had moved, the statue had hopped forward.

The staff was a work of ingenuity, admitted Link. How it worked exactly was beyond his understanding; though, neither he nor Rusl cared at the moment. The device would help them accomplish their goal of returning the statue to its proper place.

Now, all Link hoped was that when the statue fell from its perch it would not break apart from the impact. He continued moving forward and after three steps and hops the statue tumbled down to land perfectly balanced on its base. Pleased with their progress, Link turned to Rusl who looked on in admiration of such ancient technology.

"The bells must have something to do with this as well," said Link, and he unconsciously motioned with the staff to gesture toward the golden marvel.

Immediately, Link and Rusl were dodging stone debris crunched and coughed up into the air by the casting of the statue's hammer. Once they had realized that the statue had attacked only when Link had shifted the staff, Rusl called over to him. "Try to be careful with that, will you?" He was smirking despite the fact that the newest addition to their party had nearly stamped them out of existence.

More aware of how he moved, Link had to consciously keep himself from tilting the staff in any large motion. Rusl stepped up alongside him as the statue followed closely behind at a pace that seemed contradicting to its size and the manner in which it was forced to move. They could feel every tremor in the floor as it pursued them, and Link could feel its very essence, connected with it by the power of the staff's humming energy.

They stopped at the edge of the circular platform underneath the bell, and Rusl bent down to inspect it as Link remained passive in his examination. There was a central notch in its structure, and both Link and Rusl came to the same conclusion. Link passed over the platform and continued walking until the statue fell onto its surface with its last hop. A loud click signified that it had locked into place, and Link turned back to Rusl and the figure. No longer did it turn or move with Link's motions.

Next moment, the bell descended upon the stone and engulfed it. When the device again rose … the statue had disappeared, and the staff's energy withered to a weaker hum.

At first, confusion lined their faces … but when Rusl's wrinkles tightened in fascinated understanding, his expression lifted the perplexity from Link as well. The staff and the bells worked together in transporting such statues about the temple.

Without delaying any further, the swordsmen turned back the way they had come, but blocking their path were armored statues glowing with bright blue sockets that stood within the door frames of either passage. Rusl had again drawn his saber, ready to battle them. Link and Rusl stepped back as the statues approached them, more exiting the corridors from behind the first.

Their numbers continued to grow by the second. _We can't fight them all at once_, thought Link. _But_ … he smiled … _luckily for us, they don't move as fast._

Link noticed Rusl about to attack, but he called him back. "Let them move in!"

"What?" the older man called back, stupefied at the request.

"Just trust me!"

Link and Rusl continued backward as the armored statues descended upon them, surrounding them in a cluster. Link could see the tinge of panic within Rusl that he tried to conceal. _Trust me_, repeated Link, trying to comfort even himself with his plan. _This will work._

"Remember. They move slowest as they attack," the youth called calmly over to Rusl, his eyes never straying from the gathering. He could see comprehension finally counter the flicker of fear in his partner. _Come on_, willed Link. _Just a little closer. You have to be closer._ He watched the figures as they finally met Link's mark. "Go, now!"

Rusl dashed through the throng of stone figures. He dodged their hammers easily, but once he was through he realized that Link was not beside him. Turning about, he watched as Link remained within their ever tightening circle. "Link!" he called in a panic.

What was he…? Realization dawned, but Rusl grew even more worried.

As the statues all reared back their hammers to strike, Link fell into motion. He danced about their bulk with perfectly balanced, twisted steps. As he emerged from their mass, their hammers all thudded upon nothing … just as Link slammed the butt of his staff into the backside of the last one he passed.

Rusl raced alongside Link as he sprinted past him. Already the statue he had struck was festering with flickering light.

Link and Rusl darted through one of the passages, but they were met by the blocked doorway. Link knew they would not have enough time to open the path, so he ducked down in the furthest corner. Rusl followed.

With the chain reaction that would ensue … the explosion would be big.

Within moments, a loud blast shook the ground, and in the same breath, some of the bits of the figures were blasted through the connected corridors. As the air settled, the companions rose from their cover. Though Rusl lingered on what had just happened, staring at pieces of debris, Link had already tucked the staff snuggly in the side of his belt like a secondary blade and begun ascending the pillar next to the barrier. Rusl turned back to watch Link.

How he had matured into a fine young man. Rusl smiled at the thought, but he was still plagued with worry for the youth. Through all his concerns, though, he was proud that Link had developed quick reflexes and that the goddesses had chosen him to be the hero of their age. He could already hear the stories being told years from now. Link, the hero of Hyrule, one among many of the legends of their great land.

Link leapt down from the column as the way opened, and he and Rusl moved back into the rectangular room with the green crystal. Standing before them opposite the golden bars, was the statue, the bell hovering above it. Link first shot an arrow at the crystal to redden its sparkle and to open the path; he then pulled out the ancient staff and cast another orb of green energy toward the inert figure. Once more, its body gleamed with the mystic light. With a quick turn and swish of the staff, the statue pounded down the gate confining it.

So that Link would not have to endanger himself with precarious movement, Rusl retrieved the daggers that Link had used to access the room from their way in and now their way back through. Link took the weapons and returned them to his belt.

Within moments, Link, Rusl, and their stone ally had returned to the gate that Link had tripped to prevent the spiders from pursuing them. With great difficulty Link maneuvered the statue into a position before the gate so that he and Rusl were standing behind it. This way the statue would serve a dual purpose as the one to free them to the route ahead and as their initial protection from the spiders.

Rusl drew out his blade, as he and Link discussed their strategy. Link would have enough trouble navigating the statue across the perilous stairs. Rusl would need to cover him.

With a thunderous boom that reverberated off the walls of the large room beyond, the statue's hammer sunk into the golden bars, breaking away their grip of the corridor. Link and Rusl moved slowly inside, the stone figure scouting the chamber with unseeing eyes. The skittering noises had suddenly stopped once the statue had emerged onto the ruined stones.

_The silence before the growl…._

As Link and Rusl stepped out into the crumbling chamber, they were greeted by the swarm of arachnids; however, they stared at them as if waiting. Taking advantage of their stillness, Link and Rusl covered as much ground as they could, but then they heard what sounded like a thousand scuttling feet.

The statue had nearly reached the bottom of the passable stairs when smaller spiders the size of their feet stampeded toward them. They flocked around Rusl and Link, speedily racing over their feet and around them and up their bodies. Rusl was able to fling most of the creatures from his body as long as he kept in motion. For Link, however, could only stomp on the white bubbles that made up their little bodies. He kept the staff as steady as possible as he batted them from his form with his opposite hand. He could not risk straying from his path to twist away the multitude of spiders, for if the statue deviated, it would fall into the depth of the chamber, and if Link moved the staff, its hammer would further dislocate the steps that remained to send them all plummeting down.

Link's chainmail protected the better half of his body from their biting, and when they at last reached the balcony below, he immediately swiped down with his staff. The hammer met solidly with the low doorway and smashed through it and the archway. Now that the hall was accessible to all of them, Rusl and Link darted through. The statue fell behind as Link and Rusl dusted off the remaining spiders attached to them, stomping out their life. Link then turned around to watch the statue as he cast the staff in many directions. The figure obeyed his every movement as it squashed spider after spider that attempted to follow Link and Rusl. Link stepped into what seemed a strange, ancient dance, twisting his body to the right and left, facing backwards and forwards as he continued waving his arm.

As soon as all the small arachnids were smears on the stones, Link hurried the figure forward as fast as could propel its motion. Just as they were reentering the junction where Link had first encountered magicked stones, they heard the collective voice of the larger spiders approaching. As Link guided the statue into the niche below the bell, Rusl stood at the passage ready to fight off their attackers.

The mass of the creatures had just begun their invasion of the room when Link had securely planted the statue in place. Immediately he called to Rusl as he belted the staff, and the two of them sprinted through the first passage back toward the main entryway of the temple. Though they stumbled in the darkness of the descending corridor, they dared not slow their pace, for they could hear the keese nest also erupt in squeals and fluttering.

When Link and Rusl reached the door they had lifted, they bolted straight under it, and Link cast his sword in a vicious swipe as if on instinct. A red flame like energy poured from his blade and struck with a resounding blast into the doorframe. The door fell loose and crashed to the ground, smashing the spiders that had managed to keep up with them.

Finally able to really relax for the first time since entering the temple, Link slouched over, one hand balanced on his knee while the other kept a firm grip of the Master Sword. Rusl was leaning against the wall, but Link could feel his mentor's eyes upon him. No doubt the blacksmith was either excitedly bewildered by the power that had emerged from Link's blade, or … he was pondering worriedly about Link.

Link admitted that the blow had taken much energy out of him, to the point of being slightly dizzy, but he did not allow the seriousness of the sudden weakness to go noticed by his older comrade. He could feel the shifting of a dark entity within him, and he realized that Midna's worry for him had just been voiced … whether the imp had been consciously aware of communicating with him or not.

Rusl moved toward the edge of the balcony. "Let's finish this," he said, gesturing toward the statue that had been transported into the room below.

Link nodded and gathered himself up. He sheathed his saber and again removed the staff from his belt. They descended the stairway quickly, and Link used the device he held expertly now as he guided the statue toward the alcove next to the sealed door. Once it nestled back into its proper place, it turned about to face the two adventurers.

And the doorway between the statues opened into a dark hallway.

Link's gaze narrowed upon seeing the lightless corridor. Again he traded staff for saber and concentrated hard, allowing his lupine senses to take over his vision. He had tried not to rely on his wolfish characteristics, but it seemed that darkness had penetrated this temple deeper than the resting places of the other pieces of the Mirror. They would find a shard within this mass of stone and dark, Link was sure.

"Stay close behind me," said Link. Objection filled the older man's eyes, however; when Link tossed him a glance, Rusl could see a strange quality infused within him that he could not comprehend. There was something feral, something inhuman within him, and yet … focused and selfless.

Rusl nodded, and Link led the way into the darkness.

With Link's sharp instincts and aided sight, he was able to guide Rusl across ruined parts of the floor. Nearly thirty paces into the hall, however, Link spotted several reddish eyes. Recognition of their form and purpose struck him within an instant, and he was in motion before the red lines of energy had blasted toward them. He pushed Rusl behind the crumbled chunks of what used to be a pillar as the multiple strikes missed their feet by mere inches.

Link peered over the top of their cover. The devices were just the same as those he had encountered within the mines of the Gorons, only these were rather more decorative in their white marble framework. It made sense, Link supposed. This temple was generations old. Some of its designs were sure to have been passed down among the peoples of Hyrule … even if the origins had been lost to most….

"I don't have enough arrows," stated Link. "We'll have to time it right," he added as he watched the heads of each sculpture rotate in slow circles. Only one eye had been afforded to each, but they were each timed differently.

Rusl peeked out, and as he was able to see their shining sockets, he, too, studied their pattern. After only moments of watching them, they had each absorbed their pattern. They waited another moment and then sprang out from behind their defense, stepping carefully. They maneuvered quickly at points, sluggishly at others, and at one spot, they ceased all movement for a split second before sprinting the last of the way through, each turning behind the shield of an upright column.

The sculptures behind their worries, Link looked ahead. The path seemed clear; they had bypassed half its length already. But as he took his first step, he retreated backward once more, for as he had stepped forth, a sharp scythe-like blade had appeared from the wall, swooping down upon the floor where he had stood.

_More traps. How does this fail to surprise me?_

Rusl had seen the whir of the blade, and he understood the situation even before Link looked toward him. They had yet another obstacle to overcome before they would be able to continue on. With only a vague idea of what to expect, they would simply have to rely on pure impulse to guide them through.

Nevertheless, waiting and pondering would solve nothing, and Link and Rusl launched themselves into the throng of what became a minefield of various bladed traps. They ducked, swerved, back-stepped, and leapt through the oncoming attacks, reacting on split second decisions that would decide whether they emerged from the corridor in one piece, in halves, or in several fleshy lumps.

The last of the traps emerged from either side of the wall: two blades from each side, meeting horizontally at the points. Only one option came to Link and Rusl in that moment, and with a leap of faith, they sailed as directly as they could between the blades coming at their knees and those aimed at their necks.

Both of them tumbled through the open door beyond into a dark room. They had suffered minor scratches from their dash through the blades, but their small injuries did little to attract their full attention. Gathering themselves to their feet once more, Link and Rusl stepped further into the room. It was a circular room like most of those within the temple, and if Link could recall the layout of the above levels, they were directly below the large chamber where those countless spiders had decided to roost.

They stopped at the center of the room. Rusl placed his hands on his hips, a frustrated look overtaking his features. "All that? For another dead end?"

It was true, Link noted. He could not see any further paths leading out from this chamber. He squinted through the darkness as he tossed his vision all about the chamber, and he distinguished four colossal statues lining the walls in symmetrical positions which created the illusion of corners. However, unlike those of the other statues within the temple, they did not hold decorated hammers. Instead their gigantic hands had been fisted, one resting on the floor while the opposite one hovered next to its head.

"Maybe it was a ceremonial chamber," mused Rusl, "but that doesn't help us much, does it?"

Link agreed as much, and he looked beyond the giants to all corners of the ceiling. It seemed the same as any other, but in the dark, he could not quite make out the irregular design that covered it. That in itself appeared unnatural to Link, for all else within the temple had been carved and painted quite evenly. Upon further inspection, a section of the ceiling near to the door looked disfigured…. There were lines and geometric shapes that did not seem to relate to the pattern of the ceiling.

At first, Link assumed that this area of the ceiling had been deformed in much the same way as the rest of the ancient rooms, but in that moment … one of the lines seemed to twitch.

Realization dawned within Link. _Not a dead end. Exactly what we've been looking for._

Rusl noticed as Link took up a guarded stance, and he turned about. He could not see anything worth their defense, but he knew that Link's senses had become much sharper than his. He steadied his saber within a tight grip and awaited any sign that revealed the existence of the threat that seemed so distinct to Link.

Yet, it was in that very same moment that the presence of such an opponent made itself known. It had realized the two figures that had tumbled into its domain had become aware of it. There was nothing left to do than to capture them and savor the juices of their bodies.

Just as the other arachnids, only one central eye rested within the head of the massive spider that spanned the length of nearly a tenth of the size of the enormous ceiling.

"Armagohma…." uttered Rusl in an awed whisper.

Link tossed him a sideways glance. "What?"

"Such a creature is said to spawn only once every few generations," he replied.

Rusl's knowledge of the giant arachnid did not surprise Link. The blacksmith had given him countless lessons on such things, and this was likely the mother of the other spiders that they had previously encountered. But this creature was surely a manifestation of something much more than some rare species. The dark power of a mirror shard…. He could sense its presence somehow.

The mother's eight prickly legs spun it into motion then, crawling across the web that it had constructed over the roof of the chamber. The membrane covering the eye on her hairy head split open, and she looked down upon them, the pinchers over to her mouth squirming excitedly. Link immediately tossed a hand back to exchange saber for bow. _Glad I didn't use the last of my arrows…. _

However, just as Link had reached back to prepare his attack, she closed her eye and let her backside hang lower. Her body quaked in that moment, but Rusl knew what was happening before the silky eggs emerged from within her. Just as they were twitching and hatching unnaturally fast, Link followed Rusl into their cluster, slashing through the better half of them before the tiny spiders breathed life, their infant forms a squishy white sack with legs.

Those that had been able to escape their eggs descended immediately upon the two of them. Link was prepared this time, though, and he and Rusl stomped and cut them out of existence within moments.

The dying squeals of her young snapped Armagohma into action. Infuriated, her eye opened to its widest, and the only indication that an attack was coming was the bright orange light that infused the chamber. Rusl and Link were alerted to the danger in that flash, and just as a hot bolt of orange shot towards them, they were on the move. The ray of energy shifted its path to follow them, creating blackened lines in the stones as it pursued them. The speed of the mother spider's attack pushed the companions to move swiftly, but the light soon vanished from the room just as suddenly as it had arrived.

Link and Rusl took only a moment to catch their breath. Surely such an ability was only made possible by the dark presence of the mirror piece infesting the arachnid.

Glossy objects again began falling from the ceiling, and Link and Rusl occupied themselves with their destruction. A few of the baby spiders had been able to evade the edge of their blades to climb up their bodies; however, the tiny critters did not travel far before being beaten away to the ground once more … only to have a large foot stamp out their lives.

It was during one such event that upon turning to trample over a spider he had just batted to the floor, Link saw the approaching form of the mother. She had used her offspring as a device, a distraction so that she was able to sneak near to the invaders without their initial notice.

Link screamed toward Rusl, and they jumped out of the way of the monster just as it lunged at their last position. They took advantage of the spider's close proximity to deal it damage, weaving through its scuttling legs and thrusting at its body and head. It squealed, and noticing that the two trespassers could outmaneuver her, she fled, snapping her pinchers and tossing her legs at them as she retreated.

When she reached a high point of the wall, she halted and again opened her eye. Another jet of orange light rained from her orb, singing Rusl's foot as it followed after him and Link. Rusl made no signal that he had been weakened by the strike, scurrying away from Armagohma's attack as quickly as Link. This angered the beast further, but she was unable to focus her energy for too long, and her attack was suffocated before she could inflict a more severe wound.

Rusl took that moment to associate pain to his foot, moaning slightly, but even as he now favored this appendage as he walked, the injury did nothing to stop his action.

Before the mother could rekindle her energy for another of these assaults, Link traded weapons, bringing out his bow and nocking an arrow. His arm followed the spider as she trailed away yet again to the ceiling, and with precise aim, Link let loose the shaft to plunge directly into her eye before it sealed itself away once more.

Armagohma screeched at the infliction, jerking her body about … so much so that she inadvertently dislodged her legs from her web. She landed with a forceful thud on her backside. Her legs convulsed with pain from both the fall and that such a landing had surely lodged the arrow deeper into the soft tissue of her eye.

Rusl called to Link almost hysterically, and Link realized why he had become so uncharacteristically frantic. The mother had landed at the base of one of the four statues, and Link's eyes lit up with the same frenzied understanding. Armagohma would not linger in her agony for long, so Link did not have much time in which to act.

He tossed his bow down and drew out the staff. He swiftly cast out an energized orb from its tip, lighting up the veins of the colossal figure that loomed over the arachnid. Life consumed its bulk.

With one swift motion Link turned his body, flicked his wrist, and the statue's raised fist slammed down upon the monster in front of it. A tormented squeal emerged from Armagohma, as the stone crushed her body, but as her body still wriggled with life, Link cast the staff again, and the statue attacked once more.

Link hated hearing the dying shrieks of the monster, but it was just that. A monster … and it had to be destroyed.

After several more poundings, any life within Armagohma ceased to exist, and Link finally ripped out the life-force of the statue with a twist of the staff. Belting the ancient device once more, Link approached the dead arachnid, Rusl limping alongside him. They inspected the creature, and it appeared dead, but … its legs had not folded in on itself as was customary for spiders.

In a final attempt to strike down the intruders, Armagohma snapped at Link, but he jumped back quickly, and Rusl's reaction overtook the youth's. The older man speared his saber into the monster's mouth, and after a spasm, its legs at last curled into its body. Next moment, its figure blackened and exploded. White specks floated amongst the red and black bits, and soon everything faded away save for the silvery white pieces. They glowed brightly and sucked in on one another in bursts of silver wind.

At the point of their convergence, a luminescence cascaded from a newly formed Mirror Shard.

Link stretched out his hands to catch the piece as it fell toward them, and Rusl retreated to reclaim Link's bow. Yet just as the shard rested within Link's arms, a sudden vibration crackled through the floor and walls.

The use of the statue had killed the creature … but its thrashing had also destabilized the framework of the chamber. By the growing tremors in the floor, it was clear that the entire temple was beginning to collapse on itself. As the last of Armagohma's babies skittered across the floor in an attempt to escape, Link dashed toward Rusl.

"Run!"


	35. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32: The Letter**

Rusl set aside the pain in his foot. Now was not the time to give in to such wounds. The temple was coming down, and he and Link sprung back into the corridor filled with traps. They dodged the blades and beams as well as the stones that shook loose from the walls, crashing down all around them and upon some of the blades and white sculptures.

Link held onto the mirror shard so tightly that its jagged edges were digging into his arms, but he could not allow it to shatter. If he lost the piece, there would be no way for Midna and him to put an end to Ganondorf and his minion.

They danced around the increasing number of obstacles, sustaining several scratches. A beam tumbled down from their right, and just as it was breaking apart and falling in sections into the corridor, Link and Rusl raced beneath it.

At last, they reached the doorway spilling into the main chamber. The ceiling and the walls quaked insanely, displacing stones as dust rose into the air. Quickly, they made their way toward the opening that would lead them back into the Master Sword chamber. Just as they passed through the door, the corridor flooded with crashing debris that clouded out toward them.

The exploding sounds of the rooms behind them thrashed through the sword chamber, jarring the walls and shattering most of the windows. Link and Rusl darted down the magical stair steps, but a vibrating crack of the back wall caused Rusl to lose his balance and trip over the pedestal. Link had managed to remain on his feet. Turning back to the faux window, Link saw the wall crumbling down. Within seconds its stones would come crashing down upon them.

Rusl had landed on a puddle of broken glass, his hands and arms sliced in various places, and the stones were about to smash on top of him.

_He is the closest thing you have to a father_, Link heard himself screaming.

Holding fast to the mirror shard with one arm, Link ran to Rusl's side, and with all the strength within him, he jerked Rusl to his feet despite the glass that cut into his hand when he grabbed for the older man. Once standing again Rusl struggled forward with Link's help, his injuries draining his energy. The limp in his foot propelled them slower; however, Link was able to pull Rusl from the chamber before they had been caught in its collapse.

They struggled forward, racing along as quickly as they could without looking back. Link focused on the door ahead, the door that would bring them once more into a lively world. He could see the lush overgrowth on the other side as he ascended the stairway, and just as he heard and felt another rumble, Link leapt through the portal, clutching tightly to Rusl.

===============

Just as Link and Rusl tumbled back into the real world, the portal behind them closed, sealing away the destroyed temple of the past. Link rose to his feet and helped Rusl to stand. Both of them were littered with scratches over their faces and arms, and while Rusl had trouble with the extensive burn on his foot, Link's shoulder and chest ached from the injuries the dark knight had inflicted upon him.

"Not so bad, eh?" said Rusl in his usual tone, as he and Link looked out beyond the ancient door upon the rest of the ruins.

Link could not help a smile. They had traversed the terrors of the Temple of Time and survived. Rusl … had survived. _And I will save the rest of the people_, Link asserted. _No child will lose a parent as long as I draw breath_. As thoughts consumed Link, he realized the state of the temple. Only moonlight hung in the air, but he could still make out the windows and the back wall in the sword chamber, the torn steps of the grand stairway … all of this damage had happened during their escape just moments ago, and now … looking upon the temple….

What he now stared at was how he supposed the wreckage would have appeared after their journey into the Temple of Time. They had caused the current state of the temple. What he saw now … was a scene that had happened so very long ago … because of him. The mere thought of causing the disaster was unsettling, and Link shook loose from it, for it plagued him with too many questions to which he could already guess their answers.

"Link," called Rusl. Link turned to him and immediately perceived the worry and confusion within his eyes. "Where is the Mirror piece?"

Realizing just now that he no longer held it, Link searched about, but a voice assailed their ears.

"The evil within these shards is more powerful than you can possibly imagine," the nasal, feminine voice spoke.

Link had recognized it directly, but when Rusl had turned about to face the small black and white, helmeted figure behind them, hovering in midair, he paused momentarily before ripping free his sword and charging forward. Startled at Rusl's sudden movement, Link darted after him, yanking back his attack directly before it struck the little imp, "No!"

As Link held Rusl at bay, the older man switched his gaze between the small body holding the Mirror Shard and the young man keeping him from attacking it.

"What is going on, Link?" demanded Rusl.

"Put down the sword," Link explained plainly. "Midna's a friend."

Link's words poked a nerve inside Midna then. A friend. Just thinking about the word made her skin crawl with an unfamiliar tinge of embarrassed joy. They had crossed the line of being simple partners long ago, but this was the first time that Link had truly acknowledged her with such a status. But she tossed away the sentiment when the still skeptical Rusl sheathed his blade once more, and when the Mirror Shard disappeared into the realm of her magic, she could see the surprise and the unvoiced dismay within his eyes.

"We could be assembling something truly terrible here … something that we might ultimately have to destroy," she said. Her voice had dipped into a realm that Link seldom heard from her. Uncertainty. Sadness. Perhaps even guilt. The way she looked at him then … he could not describe. It was as if she knew … as if she knew that a difficult choice lay ahead, and he suspected her worry dwelt on the reunion of the shards, these shards that were so infested with evil.

"Let's just focus on the task at hand," returned Link. How could Midna … selfish Midna … even consider fragmenting-again-the only portal that would take her home?

Rusl looked between the two during their exchange; the way the imp had directed her statement to only Link combined with the way he had regarded her so casually and the weight behind their words, he understood that they had traveled together for some time.

Midna followed Link and Rusl as they returned to their horses. Rusl noticed the way that the little creature nonchalantly looked over Link's injures, but when she saw the old man glancing at her, she turned her eye from both of them. Without having any other knowledge of the imp's behavior, Rusl knew the look in her eye, the one that wanted to ask Link if he was all right but also not wanting either of them to know that she cared.

It was perhaps that single, almost-human gaze that made Rusl more comfortable with the thought of her being the one to possess the Mirror Shard. He now understood why Link had gone off alone in Snowpeak. He already had a companion, and at least … she seemed to care about Link's wellbeing, which was more than he could say for Ashei, who was used to looking out for herself.

"See you later," said the little imp, and when Midna descended into Link's shadow, Rusl was again disquieted, but the blank gaze in Link's eyes told Rusl that this was perhaps not so unusual … for Link at any rate.

Just as they climbed into their saddles, Rusl tossed a glance toward Link. "You have a lot of explaining to do. And I'm not taking excuses this time."

===============

Link had finally come to a place where he could finally let go of his resentment toward Rusl. Perhaps it was their journey into the temple together that had forced these feelings away, or it was just that he had simply come to understand that such bitterness was a childish game that he had used to fill the void where his parents had once been-or rather … where they had never existed. Whatever the reason Link's breath seemed to flow more smoothly, as if a weight had been lifted from his chest.

He had saved Rusl's life so that his children did not suffer the same empty life into which he had been forced. _Colin so wants to be like me, but that is the last thing I would want in this world. He deserves a chance at a fuller life, a life that does not linger in the shadows of this world._

Yet there was a part of Link-a part that would always exist-that would look to Rusl as a father. It did not matter that Link had grown up as the only one that had not truly belonged in Ordon. He would always have friends there, people who cared for him. And that small thought … was enough to make him smile.

On the long road back toward Castle Town, Link told Rusl how his journey had begun, how-on that fateful day those weeks ago-the bulblins had invaded the spring and taken his friends. He still did not entirely feel comfortable telling Rusl about his experience as the wolf, but he had remained in the shadows long enough. It was time to let go of the secrets that he held within his heart. And so … he told Rusl of his transformations, the excruciating pain that he had endured each time. He spoke of Princess Zelda, of the Gorons and the Zoras, of the terrors of the Arbiter's Grounds … and that he had come so close to killing an innocent in the mountains of Snowpeak, a day that haunted him like no other.

He discussed the Fused Shadows and the Mirror of Twilight, Zant's attack against Midna and him … and lastly of how he missed the sparkle in Ilia's eyes, a glimmer that had once been so full of life. All his worries, all his doubts had been bottled for so long.

But there were some things that he had left unsaid….

He would never be able to tell Rusl how he had nearly given up, how when all hope seemed lost as he sat in the Mirror Chamber … he had wanted to sit there forever to become a part of that dust-filled wasteland. He could never tell anyone how he had nearly given up on their kingdom.

And he would never give light to his confusing feelings for his companion … someone he had so loathed so long ago….

===============

Day had risen again upon their road home, and it was midday by the time Rusl and Link reentered Castle Town through the southern entrance and guided their horses back to the public corral. Taking leisured steps for the first time in a while, Link stepped silently through the streets alongside Rusl. Again he had lifted his hood over his eyes, but it seemed that his cloak had become rather iconic of his presence nevertheless. Many eyes watched Link, and Rusl told him this with a grin. Link paid them no mind, only mingling when a young woman dropped her knapsack. Her eyes and hair were the same color as Link's tunic, and she smiled shyly as she reclaimed her bag from his hand.

Yet, she had seen the few bloody scratches across Link's fingers and knuckles, and she had immediately receded in thanks. Link heaved a sigh at the too familiar sight of the townspeople whispering, as the green-haired girl flitted through the street spreading word of their hero's injuries.

Link looked toward Rusl, who chuckled lightly, but Link's lips did not reflect his amusement. The townsfolk seemed so preoccupied in discussing him, all due to Telma spreading the truth of his deeds. There were times when he was grateful that the people knew someone was fighting for them, but it just felt wrong for him to accept their gossip with silence. Although, he understood why Telma had leaked word of what he had done for them. They needed hope, that one thing to hold onto and see them through the dark times. Without Princess Zelda able to speak to them, to reassure them … they needed him. She needed him.

As soon as Link and Rusl entered the tavern, Auru noticed and motioned for them. Rusl thankfully took up a seat beside the white-haired man in the second room. Link followed behind him but leaned against the high back of a chair instead, tossing back his hood and folding his arms across the chair. Normally, the bar would have been bustling with patrons, but its usual customers, Telma, and the other members of the Group were naught to be seen.

"What did you find?" asked Auru.

"Exactly what I was hoping for," answered Rusl. "Another piece of the puzzle."

"So, you acquired another shard then?" he said, directing this question more toward Link.

Link nodded.

"I'm glad it was worth it. You two don't look that great."

Rusl tossed off the remark with a smirk. "I've had worse."

Link had to agree. The trip into the Temple of Time had not been the worst journey he had undertaken on his quest. He also understood the weight behind Rusl's casual attitude. He could remember seeing Rusl lying severely wounded on his bed … a crying Uli … a missing Colin…. All that was different now. Everything would change. Link would see to it.

Auru heaved a wearied breath. "All this makes my stomach turn," he said, his mouth flat-lining into a grim frown.

Link settled into quiet for the moment. He had not heard the peace of true silence for some time, yet, even here, he could not grasp its slippery fingers.

"So, where is everyone?" Rusl finally asked, propping his foot up on the nearest seat.

"Oh?" Auru woke from his quiet trance with a tilt of his head. "Ashei has not returned here since she left after her argument with you," he said looking toward Link. "And Shad went off babbling some time ago. I don't really know where he went."

"What about Telma?" inquired Link.

"She left on a few errands, so she closed down the bar until she returns," he said. "Which reminds me." He dug into a pocket and pulled forth a small leather pouch. He tossed it toward Link, and it landed on the tabletop directly in front of the youth. "A little something from Telma."

"What's this?" asked Link, grabbing for it and pulling the strings of its mouth open, revealing shining gemstones within. There was an assortment of different colored stones-green, blue, yellow, and red. Rupees, the currency of Hyrule. "I couldn't possibly-" he started, looking to Auru.

But Auru laughed … for the first time in Link's presence. He stood up and circled around the table to stand beside Link. "Don't treat it like a reward that you can refuse, Link. By the look of your quiver, I'd say you at least need to find someone who sells arrows around here." That fact was true, for Link's quiver was bare save for one or two arrows, but when Link still remained unsure, Auru added, "If Telma had been here to give it to you herself, she would have kicked you out the door with the rupees, so I'm afraid I cannot let you leave without them."

Still, Link felt wrong in accepting such charity, but Auru was right. He needed to restock his quiver. He nodded then, tying the pouch to his belt tightly.

"Good, now why don't you clean yourself up and then buy some more supplies," suggested Auru. "When you're done, we'll discuss our next step."

Perhaps it was the unusual cheerfulness within Auru's tone that unsettled Link. He had been so used to the pessimistic Auru who questioned his every word and step he took. Maybe the old man was beginning to have a brighter outlook on their plan … and with that, a little hope restored within him.

===============

With his wounds washed, the only remaining evidence of Link's battles were the thin red lines that had begun to crust over his scratches. Thankfully, his cloak served in shielding his torn collar from view. The cuts on his hands burned more than those across his cheeks, but Link tried to ignore the pain as he passed through the crowds of Castle Town.

He had not spent any time associating himself with the merchants in the town, for he had always visited simply on the business of information. As he walked through the streets, searching for any vendor that sold arms, Link took the opportunity to marvel at the town. There were so many different people within its borders, but the main races were that of the Hylian residents and the Gorons. Link had not expected to see any Zoras about, for their people seemed much more reclusive than those across the other lands of Hyrule.

A feeling of peacefulness washed over Link in those moments, his gaze traveling from one corner of the streets to the next. He could feel several pairs of eyes staring toward him as he walked, but their curious looks were becoming easier to bear. He could remember Midna telling him one day long ago. _…no one knows what you have done. You may be doomed to toil in obscurity forever_…. How false that statement had become.

True, Rusl was the only one that knew the full details of what he had done, but the people of Hyrule now knew that someone stood up to fight for them. That was all Link needed now to continue on. He would continue on to keep his word to the Old Hero, and he would never falter again until Ganondorf and his minion were gone from light and shadow. For Ilia … and for all those of Hyrule.

Link stepped into the main square where the town's water bloomed forth from the large, decorative fountain at the center. Lines of busy people carrying bundles and crates or pulling along their children swarmed the space, and the troupe of musicians played a rather merry tune. It was amazing how much the townsfolk wanted to forget the ominous state of affairs in which they now lived.

He approached an outside café and asked the woman selling drinks where he could find the type of merchant he needed. Pleased to help she pointed toward a stone building that rose up on the opposite side of the square, facing the castle's entrance. It was interconnected with the homes next to it, but this section rose into a short tower, a ledge overlooking the square. Link marched toward the wooden door leading into its interior and pulled it open.

Through a short passage, Link came to the base of a spiral staircase. After he climbed its many steps, he was assailed by the sight of lounging Gorons. Many of them were children, playing through the long hall at the top of the stairs. Link smiled at the small ones' high pitched laughter. Not the type of laugh he would have expected from little Gorons, he had to admit.

One of the larger ones approached him. Though their boulder-shaped bodies were enough to intimidate any ordinary person, Link had long ago grown accustomed to their gruff ways. When asked of his intent, Link replied evenly, his eyes glimmering with only confidence. Nodding jerkily, the Goron mentioned a deck and pointed toward the end of the hall. Link thanked the Goron and passed through the throng of rock men until he reached the ledge that he had seen from the square.

The observation deck provided a magnificent view of Hyrule Castle, its towers and spires rising high in the sky, its countless catwalks appearing as a beautiful maze, and its throne room high at the center of its construction glowing like a beacon of power and serenity. However, the darkened, yellow barrier that hazed over its elegant design returned the anger to Link's heart.

A Goron off to the side of the balcony approached Link then, arms folded across its vast chest. "It is disturbing, is it not?"

Link turned to the Goron. Oddly, there was something familiar with this one, for the patterns on its exposed belly resembled those of another Goron he had met within the mountain. Perhaps it was this thoughtful gaze that drew the crude smile across the Goron's face. "Indeed we have met before, Hero. I was among those that took you to see Gor Coron."

The Hylian nodded at the recognition that then stabbed his mind. He remembered now. His skin had nearly been bruised from the strength this Goron had exerted in restraining him when their people had thought him an enemy.

A short conversation spawned between them from that point, Link afterward offering the Goron two red rupees in exchange for restocking his nearly vacant quiver. Link had also spotted a bag of the bombs that Barnes had created, and he offered over more rupees. Remembering that he had left his bomb bag in Kakariko, the Goron offered him a new one and filled it with five of the small explosives. Tucking the bag into the pouch on his belt, he then set off to return to the bar; though, he took the long way about the town, stopping to buy a handful of his favorite Ordonian berries from one of the vendors.

As Link returned to the less traveled street where the bar sat snuggly between other houses, he tripped over one of the stones in the path. Though it had not been enough to unbalance him, he turned to look toward his misstep and found a grisly bone. At first, the sight alerted Link, but as soon as he noticed the small face lurking in the shadows of the houses, he smiled. There lay a white puppy.

"Hello there," greeted Link. He bent over to pick up the bone, and immediately the young pup barked and raced toward him playfully. Link laughed as it licked his fingers. He picked up the animal, resting its bottom against his forearm and cradling with the other it as it sat upright within his arms. It began to lick at his face, and as Link spluttered another laugh, he scratched at the pup's ears. "Where is your master, huh?"

Just then a boy entered the area, but he hung back away from Link.

He noticed the boy and stepped up to him. "Hello, Soal."

Either thrilled or amazed that Link had remembered him, Soal smiled.

"This fellow wouldn't happen to be yours, now would he?" asked Link.

"Yeah," returned the boy shyly.

Link offered the pet to Soal, and the boy took it within his small arms. "There now. I'd keep a better eye on him, if I were you."

Soal noticed Link's scratched fingers and face. Silence cascaded upon them then, and Link took it as his cue to leave; however, Soal called back to him. "Are you all right?" the boy asked, unsure perhaps if he should ask one older than him such a question.

All the weariness of his situation again weighed against Link. For a moment he had forgotten about the rest of the world, the scale of what was happening. During his walk about the town, he had felt more relaxed than he had in weeks, but the truth of his existence again bore upon him, and the reminder had come from within this small child, a child that had had his innocence of the world stolen away.

Link turned back to Soal and bent down on one knee, saying simply. "You remember what I told you?"

_I will save Hyrule even if it means my life_. He could see the recollection with Soal's eyes. "I will never break that promise," he assured.

Link could see the glimmer of hope and happiness-but also sadness-within the boy. "Everyone talks about you," said Soal's small voice. "Everyone says that … they wish they had your courage."

Absentmindedly, Link looked at the back of his left gauntlet, where the symbol of his true courage rested. Would he have been the same strong willed, courageous person he was now without such a blessing?

He did not know how to respond to the boy, but somehow words came from some place deep within him. "That is why I am here. I will be Hyrule's shield and its sword whenever and wherever I am needed … for as long as I am able." Confused at how the words had seemed to flow perfectly from him and how they stirred within the well of his soul, he gathered himself up and turned once more to the tavern.

But Soal called to him. "You have our thanks."

His hand on the knob, Link did not look back. "None will ever be needed." And he pulled on the door and entered.

Once again, the bar was filled with the many drunken patrons of Castle Town, those who seemed to only find salvation from their current doom in the dregs of their mugs. That meant Telma had returned, and indeed, she stood in front of her bar. Rusl and Auru had grouped by her in hushed discussion, and Ashei had finally returned, sitting at the Group's usual, secluded table, arms folded as she stared off with an expression vacant of all emotion save bottled fury.

The whispering haze over Telma, Rusl, and Auru's voices disturbed Link. Auru was the first to notice him. The others turned to his presence soon after, their countenances displaying all that their voices no longer said. "What is it?" demanded Link, uncertain if he truly wanted to know the answer.

"There's a letter for you, Link," said Auru. "It arrived while you were gone."

Questions still lingered within Link's eyes as he approached them, and Telma clarified with only three words. "It's from Renado."

Immediately, Link grabbed the letter from Telma's hands, noticing that a strange man clad in a white uniform and a large red hat also watched him from out of the corner of his eyes as he ate the meal Telma had obviously given him. The letter was still sealed, and Link could see the worried anticipation in all their faces. Unable to stand due to the terrible news that the letter could hold, Link plopped down in a bar stool, staring at the envelope made of animal skin for a long moment.

He could feel Rusl's worry more than the others' apprehension, for the older man was the only one within the bar that also knew Ilia … and what Link truly felt for her.

At last, he tore open the laces and pulled out a folded piece of parchment. He read the short letter quickly and only once before-his eyes widening-he tossed it down and headed toward the door.

"Link-" Telma started.

But he cut her off. "I have to go." He yanked open the door and dashed out into the streets beyond.

Rusl stepped over to where he had left the letter and picked it up.

_Link,_

I am entrusting this letter to Telma, for I know she  
will find a way to deliver it to you. I have urgent news  
about Ilia's memory. She is beginning to remember.  
Please, visit Kakariko as soon as you can.

-Renado

Rusl sat down in the stool where Link had settled moments ago. He knew the depth of Link's care for Ilia … knew that he would do anything for her, and Rusl only prayed that Link would at last find some amount of peace in seeing her finally beginning to recover.

================

Within moments, Link had guided Epona as hurriedly as he permitted himself toward the eastern bridge leading out of Castle Town. Drawing attention to himself would only slow his progress, for he imagined that the guards would stop him for answers. As soon as he reached the bridge, Link mounted Epona and dug in his legs. Epona galloped away toward Kakariko, and within a few hours he cantered onto the village thoroughfare.

Colin and Malo were the first to emerge from Renado's house, and as he dismounted, Link asked them the whereabouts of the shaman and Ilia. They pointed toward the sanctuary, and Link marched toward the partly damaged structure. His hand trembled over the handle for one instant before he banished the weakness and pulled the door open.


	36. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33: A Princess's Trinket**

As soon as Link stepped inside, he found Ilia sitting near the fireplace at the central statue. Renado was speaking with Gor Coron and Darbus, but upon hearing the door open, he looked to the noise and eagerly greeted Link. Ilia did not look up but merely stared into the dancing flickers of the fire.

Renado waved Link over to him, and the youth stepped up to their group. "You said it was urgent," said Link immediately.

"Indeed," the shaman smiled. "Ilia has begun to remember vague details. She says she can remember that she knew Colin and that she can remember her father's face, but-"

"But what?" demanded Link. "Is something else wrong?"

"She said something about being held prisoner, but she can recall nothing else." Renado glanced toward Ilia. "She has been sitting at the fire for hours trying to remember. I was hoping that you could sit with her … to help her."

"But how could I-?"

"Is not the girl important to you?" asked Gor Coron, bulky arms crossed over his plump chest.

"Of course, but-"

"Link," Renado said, and he took the youth by his shoulders. "The Goron elder believes that to help her regain her lost memories, we must piece together the fragments of her past. If we work our way backwards from the very place where she lost her memory, we may find something that will restore it. If she were to remember where she was kept prisoner-"

"We could help her find her way," finished Link.

"It is time for you to show your strength, little human," said Darbus. His voice carried heavily across the air. "It is in times like these that we must come to one another's aid! Of course, not that you could ever do much to help _me_, my tiny friend, but your friend needs you."

Link turned to Gor Coron in that moment, a question in his eyes. Did not the patriarch know that he had been the one to break the dark curse upon him? The Goron led Link away from the group, and spoke lowly to him. "Our chief has no memory of his dark time, and we have not told him that you were the one who saved him. He is a proud Goron, and he would never accept having received help from a human." The Goron shifted his gaze to Ilia. "But now it is not our proud race that needs your help but one that Renado tells me is quite dear to you." The large man looked Link over and cupped a hand over his arm. "You are a strong human; do not let your heart be weakened."

The Goron left his side to return to the others, and Link looked toward Ilia. She sat on a rug before the fire, a dazed but pained expression filling her eyes, as if she wept inwardly at being incapable of remembering her life and what had happened to her. Link swallowed back his own fears as he approached and sat down next to her.

When he took up a place beside her, she did not turn to him immediately. Instead, she continued to gaze into the embers.

"Ilia-" Link began, but at that first utterance, Ilia's tears became unveiled as they streaked down her face.

"I can't. I can't remember," she said. "I can feel it there, within me, but it's so far out of reach." She looked to him then, desperate. "But you. You really do know me, care about me, don't you? That's why you're here, right?"

Link nodded after a silent moment.

But Ilia became even more frustrated. "But I don't know you! Why can't I remember any of it?" Her gaze pleaded. "Do you know? Do you know anything? How I ended up here?"

"I-" The sudden questions had taken him aback. He recalled how Renado had told him once that he should not tell her too much of her life, that it should be allowed to return on its own. "Shouldn't you-?"

"Were you there when I was taken, or not?" she demanded through her tears. "I have to know. I have to know _something_!"

Ilia's intense and watery gaze upon him made his heart scream in agony. Remembering the day was painful even for him, for it had been a day he had long regretted. He had let this happen to Ilia. "I- We were at the spring," Link began uneasily. He was not sure if he should reveal any of it to her, but her eyes were so full of pain that he could bear it no more. "Colin and Epona, my horse, were with us, too. From out of nowhere, they came and attacked us. They took you, took all of you but me, and ever since then … I searched for you."

A sparkle alien to her tears glowed within Ilia's eyes. "We … we lived in a forest…. Didn't we?"

"Yes, in Ordon Village," he said, glad that the small details of her life were returning.

Ilia looked away, staring at the walls as if trying to imagine the forest that now felt so foreign to her. Link wondered if she could see the spring in her mind or if her memory was still as empty as the walls. "I … I lost something," she said at last. "There was something…. But I don't…."

"Ilia?" tried Link, but she no longer seemed to notice anyone else was with her. Her eyes hazed over once again, just as they had when he had first encountered her within the bar. A cloud full of pain and emptiness had descended upon her clearer than ever before, a longing for the life she could barely remember.

Link's downcast gaze filled with frustration. She was remembering some of the smaller details, but they both wanted to know so desperately what had happened to her. Yet, those small things were not so meaningless. To Ilia they were pieces of her life coming back to her, and so, to Link, they were each another thread of hope to which he could cling. If she was beginning to reclaim those memories then there was a brighter ray of optimism to be had for them all.

He stole a last glance at Ilia, who seemed to be within a violent daydream, her tears crusting over her flesh. Link marched toward Renado. The shaman had been watching over the two of them as the Gorons had entered into their own conversation.

"Well?" asked Renado. "Anything?"

Link twisted his expression so that his emotions would not betray him. "She remembers that we live in the forest, but … she says she lost something. She can't remember what, but maybe she'll remember more if we can-"

"-find whatever it is she lost." Renado was nodding, thinking over everything carefully. Link could never thank him fully for helping Ilia so selflessly. "Then perhaps Telma will know something. Ilia was under her care when you encountered her, correct?"

Link nodded.

The shaman crossed his arms so that his heavy sleeves blanketed his hands. "Then I ask you to return to Castle Town and question her of the matter. Any help she could provide will help Ilia. I will remain here with her."

Link moved toward the door, but Renado called over his shoulder. "If it is any comfort to you, Ilia's eyes brightened the moment she knew you were here."

Still holding his countenance together with a thin frown, Link glanced toward the shaman. A wrinkle above his brows twitched, and when he felt his eyes choking at the water breaking through his defense, he turned back into the light of day.

Link spotted Colin and Malo by Epona, and Talo and Beth had come from within the house as well. They all looked toward Link when he had at last reappeared, but he paid them no mind. He whistled to Epona as he approached at a fast walk, and she raced toward her master. When she reached him, he quickly pulled himself into the saddle. He could hear one of the children call to him, but he needed to make haste. Answering their questions of Ilia would only cost him more time, time that he did not wish to waste.

The children had started toward him just as he had galloped away. Malo, Talo, and Beth all exchanged glances, but Colin, who had been at the head of their party, looked after Link. He had been the only one who had seen the traces of tears across Link's face, but he was also the only one to truly see that Link's state of mind was not only affected by Ilia's amnesia. They had not seen Link in weeks, not since he had struck Luda, and already there was even more that was different in him.

===============

Once arriving at Castle Town again, Link headed straight toward the tavern. Telma greeted him as soon as he stepped into the musty room. She stood over Rusl, who sat at the Group's usual table with his foot propped up as she wrapped a bandage around the bare appendage. Surprise rained through her features at seeing him so soon after he had left only a few hours ago.

She finished covering Rusl's foot as Link approached them.

"Link, what's wrong?" asked Rusl.

"Where did you find Ilia?" Link spat at Telma immediately.

"Find her?" she repeated. "Oh no, the first one to bring Ilia here was Doctor Borville. She found that Zora child in the road and came into town looking for a doctor. Well, he couldn't treat him, so he brought them here for me to worry about." Telma's expression grew deep of disgust. "He may call himself a doctor, but his fees are high and he doesn't care a bit for people he can't help himself. However…." She grinned and stepped away from Rusl to lead the youth over to her bar.

"He's a crusty old bat, for sure, but he may know something." Link could see her mind working as she scratched at her neck. After a moment she winked at him and withdrew a piece of parchment from underneath the counter. "Honey, you go ahead and take this to him. This'll get that codger talking!"

Link grabbed the paper marked with a heading that read: _Invoice_. The number written under a list of items was higher than any Link had seen. To imagine that many rupees…. "Thank you," said Link, waving the paper. "Where can I find the doctor?"

"His medical house is on the eastern road of town. And" -her tone drew his concern- "don't worry, honey. That girl's memory will come back. You do what you need to."

Thanking her once more, Link returned to the streets.

Telma looked after him, worry in her gaze, and she then turned toward Rusl. His visage also bore disquiet, but they did not exchange their discomforts with each other. Instead, Telma grinned merrily as a regular customer entered the bar.

===============

Link stepped through the crowds carefully, seeing as though most of the citizens on the main eastern street were filing out into the square and the alleyways instead of heading in deeper. There were not as many shops at this end of town, and he realized that most of these buildings were the townspeople's homes.

He could hear whispers and the occasional merry shout through this street. Women were hanging out their wet clothes on their balconies above, as their children, no doubt, had been instructed to remain inside. Link also saw that some of the men, the fathers and husbands, were either looking to him admirably or objectionably. It was the latter of these that tore Link's eyes away from their families, for Link knew that not all of the townsfolk were likely to appreciate these whispers and declarations that there was a green-clad hero among them. Link did not blame them. There was a matter of honor in being able to care for one's family, and he had successfully taken on the responsibility without question or permission.

Yet, who else would have been able to stand forward?

Surely, there had been those who had opposed the rule of Zant and Ganondorf, but if Link did not stop the evil usurpers soon, many would lose their lives in the battle over Hyrule … a battle sure to soon come.

However, Link owed _his_ family-his friends in Ordon having been his only family-that same attention. This was the time to help Ilia.

Link stepped up onto the porch of the medical building and knocked. He stood silent for a few moments, wherein the townspeople glanced toward him either appraisingly or suspiciously as they walked past, and when the door opened, Link was not entirely sure if he preferred the doctor's bespectacled and critical gaze over the stares of the intimidated or agitated folk about him.

"Oh? So, I see it's the young lad who was willing to help that Zora boy for nary a rupee," the old and short doctor spat toward Link.

"I … yes-"

"Just what is it you want?" the frail old man demanded in a wavering voice. "If you've come for those scrapes, it'll cost you."

"I'm not here for me," started Link, and again he was cut off by the short man, his messed white hair bouncing about as he spoke.

"Is it that girl? She, eh, didn't mention anything about me, did she?" But his voice turned to acid before Link could reply. "Or are you here to just be a bother? I am too busy for bothers! I have money to make, not that I'm having trouble in making any. I am the most skilled physician in town!" Yet, again his demeanor changed, returning to his suspicious state. "Did she really say anything at all about me?"

"No, should she have?" asked Link, his irritation dripping through each word. _Honestly, at least Barnes is laughable. _

"Then you don't have any reason to be poking about! Be gone!" the man went to shut the half-open door, but Link tossed his forearm in the way. The doctor could plainly see the aggravation in Link's eyes, but then he also saw the paper within his hand.

"Ah!" The doctor tried to slam the door shut again, and Link's anger seeped through-an anger more so toward the fact that he was exhausted of all the events that kept rising between Ilia and her memories. He grasped the door firmly in his other fist and held it open.

"Oh, so Telma's hired you to strong-arm me? Well, she'll have to wait. I can't pay that off right now!"

"I'm not here to do anything except talk," promised Link.

But Doctor Borville was still in a panic. "Listen, lad, if I'd been able to sell the wooden statue that young lady had, I would've been able to get the money…."

The doctor's voice faded off as that fear-stricken statement uncovered something within Link's mind. _I lost something…._

Immediately, Link pushed on the door and stepped inside, the doctor backing away. "Tell me more of this statue," he ordered. "Do you still have it?"

The doctor frowned up at Link. His stature had been made all the more intimidating since the doctor had to look up at his black-cloaked figure, but somehow the doctor had found his bravery, and he spat back at Link. "No, it was stolen! It had bloodstains all over it and I used my solutions to clean it, but it started to stink. I left it outside on my porch to dry, and then … it was gone! So, there you have it!" Doctor Borville waved a raging finger at Link. "I can't return what I don't have, now go away then!"

Link's expression fell and the doctor must have taken notice of it, for he added, "When it rains misfortune, it pours! Remember that, lad!"

Smirking just in an attempt not to explode from his frustration, Link nodded curtly and spun around to leave. Once outside again Link plunked down on the porch, at a loss for where to go next. A discouraged sigh escaped his lungs as he watched the townspeople milling about their routines. A few of the women on the balconies above had been observing Link's behavior toward the doctor, and by the expressions on their faces they seemed curious as to Link's emotional state. Huffing out an annoyed breath, Link turned from their gazes, letting his forehead sink into his palm. Yet, the moment he drew another breath, there came with it an alien smell, one that he had not sensed before in the streets of Castle Town.

Link's head then bolted upright once more. …_used my solutions to clean it, but it started to stink…._

"What do you smell?" he heard Midna ask softly.

Disregarding her question Link pulled himself up, sniffing the air. A pair of soldiers looked suspiciously toward him at the gesture, and Link scolded himself. He gave a courteous nod in their direction and they paid him no more mind.

"You know, you really should be more careful about that. Such behavior is so … beastly," giggled Midna.

_I know._ Link shrugged off her remark and followed the scent that he knew would lead to the lost carving. He lifted his hood over his head, shielding his eyes and nose almost completely. He sniffed at the air every so often as he started down the southern roads. However, once he came to the main intersection of town, he found that the scent led him back to the dead end street where Telma's bar was located.

_This can't be right_. He continued down the path, but the scent seemed to die away at each house he turned toward. _Another wrong turn._ Becoming more frustrated than depressed, Link twisted about, determined to find where he went wrong in his search … and his answer stared back up at him from the street.

The white cat that he had seen several times within Telma's bar looked back up at him, tilting its fat face as it watched him. Link cocked brow as he observed the small animal. Why did it seem to understand what he was thinking?

Before he could deduce why the animal seemed so capable of reading his expression, it scampered back toward the main intersection. Link was compelled to follow the cat, and he hurried after it. Once he reached the junction, he spotted the white cat perched on the corner of one of the market kiosks. As soon as their eyes met, the cat was away again, jostling through the shuffling feet of the crowds. Link, however, was forced to walk casually through the throng so as not to disturb them and draw attention to his movements.

He spotted the cat weaving its way every now and again when there was a break in the crowd. Link had been told once how perceptive cats were of human emotions, but he knew that it was something beyond that. He thought perhaps this animal could sense the bestial side of him, connect with that part of him and comprehend his desire. Animals had strange instincts, as he had learned during his transformations, and it was the only possible reasoning he could conjure.

The cat led him through the southern gate and into the grounds beyond, but as soon as Link stepped through the archway and onto the top level of the stone stair steps on the other side, the cat was nowhere to be found. He stopped short, throwing his gaze about in an attempt to rediscover the animal.

But it was gone.

He thought that perhaps he had just imagined the cat had wanted him to follow out of his own desperation to find a lead. Downhearted once again Link meandered down the many flights of stairs, interconnected by platforms that divided them. When he reached the middle of the stone courtyard, he flopped down on the bottommost stair. He jerked back his hood and ran a hand through his gritty hair, realizing it had been some time since he had had a proper bath. He rested his forearms on his knees and stared at his dangling fingers.

"Hello!"

Link's head shot up at the sound of the sweetly feminine voice. A girl dressed in a blue and white dress stood at a flower bed off to the side of the platform where he now sat. Her bronze hair was pulled tightly up into pigtails, and her bangs hung over her forehead from beneath a brown bonnet tied in a big bow under her chin. She also had three noticeable freckles under each eye, but he assumed that they were not natural since they were colors such as blue and red.

"You look like a big grasshopper," she giggled. She twirled the parasol she held on her shoulder, looking at him out of the corner of her eye as she scooped up a rather large beetle from a flower. "Oh, I'm sorry. Where _are_ my manners?" she smiled, as she placed the bug snuggly within the colorful satchel hanging from her shoulder. Imagining how trapped the insect must have felt, Link was very glad that he was not the grasshopper he apparently appeared to be.

She took a few steps toward him, and he straightened his posture only slightly, his arms still resting on his legs.

"I'm Princess Agitha," she introduced, curtseying, and it was then Link noticed another peculiar thing about this young girl. Though she was dressed nearly completely in frills, her feet remained bare. "I've been looking for friends to invite to my ball this evening," she said, patting her satchel as she plopped down next to Link. It was at that gesture that Link realized she referred to insect friends, and it was also the comment that concluded his initial assumption that she was not true royalty. She was just playing pretend … but to a point where she actually believed herself to be what she imagined.

"So, why do you look so gloomy?" the cheerful girl asked.

"I don't know if you'd understand," returned Link as he looked out toward the darkening sky. Evening would soon set upon the land.

As she scooted closer, he sensed a strange scent circling about her, but in his new misery, he could not place where he had smelt it before.

"A lot of my friends say that to me," she countered, and Link wondered whether she meant other children or insects like those in her satchel. "But, you know, I like helping people-especially when they seem so nice, too! Why not tell me?"

The pout on her face was not exactly the reason that he decided to tell her about Ilia, but more so the offer that someone-even one so young-wanted to help him when a doctor would not. As he told her about the statue that Doctor Borville had taken from Ilia, a sparkle washed over Agitha's round face.

"Do you mean this?" she asked, pulling out a wooden carving about a foot in length and as thick as her forearm. And that was when the wave of odor hit Link. The smell that he had sensed about the girl had been that of the medicine which he had first noticed on the doctor's porch. _Yes, this must be it!_ Link took the statue in his hands excitedly, and the small grin over his lips made Agitha laugh.

"You see? I can be helpful, too."

She stood and started back up the stairs, but Link looked back to her. "But where did you find this?"

"Right out here," she replied, grinning back at him. "I found it last night," she continued, and she whispered the last with a slight giggle. "When the beasties come out to play!" Humming a merry tune, she skipped up the stairs.

"Well, as annoying as that little girl was," said Midna, rising from his shadow and looking up at him, "she was rather useful, huh?"

Link did not reply as he stared at the little carving. _I'm coming, Ilia_. His smile broadened and he stood up all at once, turning with a whirl of his cloak back toward the town.

===============

Link rushed back into the mountain village, and by the time he arrived, torchlight lit the streets. When he reentered the sanctuary, he found the children within as well. They all sat around the fireplace; Ilia now stared out the window, as if trying to find her memories in the empty, dark streets. Colin looked up to Link, a hopeful light filling his eyes.

Renado stepped up to Link and noticed the small carving that he held at his side. A small smile crossed his lips, and he moved from his path. Exhaling a strained breath, Link stepped up to Ilia. She did not immediately turn to him when she felt his presence beside her. "Do you think I will ever be able to remember?" she asked. Her vacant voice was thick of sorrow, as if she were surrendering to the possibility of never returning to her previous life.

Yet, this had been Link's worst fear since he had first realized her condition. He could say nothing to comfort her, for he had found nothing to console himself. But now they had a clue, one that he prayed would lead to unlocking her lost memories. "I have something for you," he said, offering the wooden statue.

Ilia turned to him then and looked into his eyes. As their gaze met, Ilia could see the desperation within him. When she glanced down at the carving, her brows furrowed. It looked familiar, but something was out of place. She took it in her hands, and in that moment, images flashed before her eyes. Images of a village, an old woman, the dark men, blood….

She gasped, looking to Link. "I remember…." she breathed. "I was confined with an old woman, and she gave me this statue." When Renado and the others heard Ilia's words, they turned toward her, listening to what she could recall. "And then-I was outside…. I- She told me to run, but there were so many of them, and I…." Her voice trailed away for a moment, as she delved deeper into her memories. That was why the statue had seemed out of place…. The blood…. She had injured or killed one or two of them with it.

She gasped, afraid of the memory. Had she really been capable of such an act?

Yet, she ignored that thought as another crept into her mind. "But that means…. The woman might still be there. But I-I can't remember where we were!"

A gruff voice then interrupted. "I know those markings," said Gor Coron, stepping up to Ilia and taking the statue. "I believe this belonged to the tribe that protected the Hylian royal family long ago. The Sheikah," he said as he inspected the carving. "They worked and lived in secret, but it is said that their tribe dwindled in the prolonged wars."

"Do you know where this village is?" breathed Link.

"Of course!" interjected Darbus, his voice booming. "Their village is hidden away in the northern mountains of the Lanayru province. Find the path that leads through the tallest mountain, and it will take you straight into their village."

Link nodded and turned toward the door, but Renado called out to him. "Won't you at least stay the night? You must take rest if you are to be of any help to Ilia."

Grateful for the shaman's concern, Link still declined the offer. "If I ride all night, I should make the mountains by day, and then the village will be much easier to locate."

He could feel the disagreement in Renado's stare, but the man relented.

As Link went for the door handle, Ilia grabbed his arm. "Please... Don't worry about me. Just promise me you'll save the one who helped me." Her eyes pleaded. Her request was all the evidence Link needed to reassure himself that, though her memories were fragmented, she was still the Ilia he had grown up with in the forest.

"I will do what I can," he vowed, and he departed from the sanctuary, heading toward what he hoped would be the last leg in the journey to repair Ilia's shattered past.


	37. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34: Last of a Race**

Link had sped back through Castle Town another countless time, crossing the western bridge to turn up into the northern lands. He had traveled through the night to reach the border of the northern mountain range. And all throughout the next day, he spent the hours navigating the steep and narrow mountain passes as Midna helped him keep an eye out for any signs of the hidden Sheikah village.

Most of the mountains of the range were very close to the same height as their neighbors; locating the tallest among these peaks would be a long event. Daunted by the task but refusing to give up so easily, Link strained his body to remain awake and willed his mind to focus. When they climbed the pass of their third mountain, Midna noticed how his eyes began to droop after each blink of his eyes.

"You'll be no help to that girl being so tired," spat Midna, hiding her concern for him in her cynicism.

Link's bleary eyes snapped to Midna. "I'm fine," he assured.

"No. You're not. You haven't slept since we returned from Snowpeak. And that's been what? Two or three days?" Midna hovered at her side, arms crossed, her feral tooth slipping beneath her lip. "Night's falling. Sleep. I'll keep watch."

Link did not wish to back down so readily, but with the darkening sky, a heavy fog clouded over the mountain peaks, leaving him blind as to which was the tallest among them. With his vision impaired, he decided to concede to his companion's wishes.

Even though the air was chill, he refrained from constructing a fire. If there were any guards nearby, his position would have been freely distributed to them. Instead, he led Epona under an outcropping and settled down beside her as she lowered into a comfortable resting position. Link pulled his cloak tightly around him to combat the cold atmosphere. Nestled against his horse, he could hear and feel each of her breaths. He reached out a hand to comb through her mane.

Midna watched from a distance as Link closed his eyes almost immediately after he had settled in against Epona. She marveled at his strength. During their journey together she remembered many times wherein Link had gone days without sleep. He was a selfless, caring man, and she admired him for that, the way he put his life in danger for the need of others … how he rode on through the night simply to help a girl gain back her memory.

That thought reminded her of a time when he had done very near the same for her. When Zant had mortally wounded her by exposing her to the harsh light of Lanayru, Link had done everything to reach Zelda. She could only imagine how ravaged his mind must have been by the power of the shadow king's magic, and knowing how strong, how forcefully, he had to have fought against its evil to bring her to salvation….

She found herself staring at her hands then, feeling the life brimming within her skin, skin which should have been but a shadow in this world, and in the night, she would have been a mere flutter in the dark had it not been for Zelda's sacrifice. Midna thought that that night had been her last, but for a light dweller, a noble Hylian … closest descendants of the gods who banished her people…. For her to have given up her life like that … it had brought a whole new understanding to Midna. She could not blame the people of this realm for the eviction of her race. But for the gods to continually punish the twili race, to deny them reentrance into the world of light when their forefathers had long passed from existence…. For the gods to punish her for a crime she did not commit … it was unfair.

Midna drew her gaze again upon Link, her Hylian companion, the chosen hero. She knew by the way he talked, the way he carried himself, that he had had near to a perfect and carefree childhood. She envied that, longed to have a life like that, free of troubles, free of such harsh responsibilities, free of the burdens she carried. She had often considered confiding in Link, telling him all the horrors of her past, explaining why she was the way she was.

None of it mattered, though. Her choices had brought her here-banished by a false king to the light realm-just the same as Link's choices had brought him to the cell in which they had met.

_Wherever it is you go, I will follow,_ he had said. The memory of Link's promise made Midna smile, and that thought alone was enough to warm her against the cold of the night.

===============

"Come on, hero, time to get moving," Link heard through his dreams.

Link awoke and peeked through the fold of his cloak as the rays of the sun began lighting the skies over the mountaintops. Midna hovered alongside him. He petted Epona's head and she gently shifted from her dreams to see the coming day. She rose and fidgeted about to stretch her muscular legs. Obeying Midna's command and glad to bring on the new day after a restful night, Link pulled himself into his saddle and urged Epona onward.

The renewing brightness did little in warming Link as they passed through the trails of the mountains, and the fog had not completely lifted. With Midna's help he searched the pathways above him that traveled along the mountains, and, finding a route that would lead him upward, he pivoted Epona toward it. "Come, girl. Let's get to higher ground."

Epona traversed the trails carefully, avoiding the loose stones, and when at last they had climbed up the slopes of the mountains, they leveled off near the middle of a towering one. Epona brought him to the cliff's edge, and as they were near the southern border of the range, the world of the northern mountains spawned entirely before them. For as far as he could see there were mountains dotting the land. In the far west, he could see the wastes of the desert. To the east he could spy the tall peaks that comprised the Zoras' regions, and in the northern distance were the wintry summits of Snowpeak. To say the least, the view was spectacular, yet simplicity was missing. The simplicity and calm that he had seen within the mountain valleys surrounding Kakariko.

Link moved the sentiment from mind just as Midna nudged him. "Do you see that mountain there?" she said, pointing toward the northeast. A range of mountains in that area rose significantly higher than the others across the land, and near the midst of that range was a single mountain that towered higher than those surrounding it.

He cursed the fact that he must have been too tired to notice it yesterday due to his fatigue, and memorizing its placement among the mountain trails, Link jerked Epona into a gallop; Midna returned to his shadow. They followed along the many winding paths among the mountains, a route that took them most of the daylight hours to cross. Once the early hour of evening sent deep reds and oranges splaying through the sky, they reached the soaring peaks.

Link slowed Epona's pace to a quick trot so that, as they approached the mountain that rose highest above them, Link could scan every corner of its cliffs for the hidden route of which Darbus had spoken. There were many fissures which Link imagined had been crafted in order to fool wayward eyes such as his, for he turned down several that-though all stretched inward for different lengths-always closed in dead ends.

Irritation had risen within Link by the time he had tried over ten of these tunnels. "Maybe the right one is higher up," suggested Midna.

He answered in silence, the only indication that he had heard the imp being a twitch in the corner of his frown.

Again, Epona carried Link up a mountain, rising to the higher trails that time had constructed within its rocks. There were several fractures in the side of the mountain, and the few that followed deeper into its hard surface did not penetrate completely. These also dead ended; however, each failure led him further to the belief that Midna had indeed located the correct mountain.

As he moved along the path, he spied a jagged hole high in the side of the mountain, and further along he discover yet another gap that tunneled deep into its reaches. Yet, there seemed something different in this pathway. Its construction appeared much rougher than that of the others. This, Link thought, was a mark of truth that it would lead him to the secret village of the Sheikah race.

Stowing his excitement just as it had risen, Link yanked on Epona's reins, and they entered into the corridor, which seemed to move through the mountain much deeper than any of the previous tunnels.

At last, Link was assailed with the sight of an end to the tunnel. He moved ahead cautiously, for if Ilia and this woman had been imprisoned, there were sure to still be guards protecting their remaining captive. He dismounted Epona away from the opening that led into the village, and, after depositing his cloak over the saddle, he snuck toward the entrance and spied inside.

The village had indeed been constructed within the mountain, the inside walls rising up and coming together overhead to form the ceiling as well. The hole that Link had seen on the outside had been carved out in order to bring natural light to the residents. The inhabitants of this ancient village were now bulblins, Link noted, spotting the first of what was sure to be many.

Instinctively, Link ducked down lower behind the rocks of the threshold, as a bulblin paced across the top ledge of one of the nearest houses. As he scanned the rest of the town, he quickly discovered the presence of many more of their kind. Those that he spotted in the abandoned houses carried bows and watched the streets closely, searching for any reason to nock an arrow. There were also those that patrolled through the streets, holding fast to their clubs or swords, and outside a house at the far end of the town, Link could see several of their kind standing watch.

Midna learned here that his eyesight was indeed incredibly greater than her own. She could see the better part of the sentries, but when Link indicated the guards outside of the house, she turned to him in both disbelief and surprise. The dwelling was far in the distance, and Midna wondered if his ability to pick out their forms was due to the refined instincts of his bestial incarnation or a skill of which he had previously been capable.

Either way, she made no comment as to his skill and no objection in his pronouncement.

"If they've made one of these houses a prison, my guess would be the furthest house." Midna did not argue. Since there were apparently several bulblins protecting just that location, he had a high probability of being right. "We need to take out these guards quietly," he cautioned.

"How many do you count?" she asked.

Link had not broken his line of sight, and when she raised the question, he scanned his eyes once more over the whole of the village from their vantage point. "Twelve as I see now, but I can't see inside the buildings and there are sure to be guards within them as well."

Midna nodded and grinned. "Well then, I'm ready when you are."

Link took out his bow, crouching down and peeking out from the side of his hiding spot. He nocked his first arrow-silently appreciating the fact that he had been given the opportunity to restock-and aimed toward the right side of the town. A bulblin was posted on the porch of a house, and it stood still, silently watching for any sign of an intruder. Unfortunately, an arrow soon pierced its forehead, killing it instantly. It slumped down quietly to the ground, its eyes blindly observing the world.

He took aim with another arrow and shot toward the moving bulblin he had seen first. He compensated for the bulblin's speed and direction of movement. He waited another instant, wherein his victim moved out of sight of those below and across the town, and then an arrow sailed directly for it. It impaled the bulblin in the left temple. Another instant kill.

It had crumpled to the floor, but the sound had not been heard by the others. Link squinted, trying to see inside the houses bordering the village. Those two bulblins had been the only ones that had had direct sight of the entrance … save for those in the streets. He had needed to dispatch those guards in order to sneak into the village, but it would have been an unwise decision to move in after they had been dealt with. If those in the streets and the houses spotted him-which, currently, they were sure to, considering their number-then stealth and surprise would no longer be at his command.

He spied movement within the house he had just robbed of its balcony guard. The physique was that of another guard. The bulblin, standing beyond a thin pane of glass, made no indication that it had seen its comrade die. Normally, Link would have seen the glass as an obstacle, yet he would use it to his advantage.

As long as he could time the aftermath right … and run fast enough.

He aimed toward the window, positioning his shot with the utmost care. As he released the arrow, he called to Midna, "Hide when you need to; help when you can."

And the arrow shattered through the glass, piercing its target through the heart. The splintering sound echoed through the enclosed mountain village, and the attention of every bulblin collectively turned toward the house. Link held fast to his bow, standing to peer over his concealment and counting seventeen heads total. Those nearest in the streets headed toward the house, and with their gazes averted, Link moved across the open path toward the right side of the town. He knew that once the dead bodies were discovered, his enemies would then look toward the tunnel entrance.

Link passed his first victim and entered the house, flattening himself against the wall.

He could hear the yelps of the alerted bulblins, passing the news throughout their number that there was a trespasser within the village. Their voices sounded more like grunts and squeals to Link, but he could hear a distinct alarm within their tones.

Link spotted a set of stairs that led up to the higher levels, and he sprinted quietly towards it. In the upper rooms, Link encountered a bulblin with its back turned to him. It looked out toward the opposing house. Without a sound Link's hand dove for one of his daggers, and in the next instant drove it quickly into its backside, throwing a hand across its large mouth to stay its yelp of dying pain. He then lowered its limp frame to the floor and moved into the interconnected house to the right.

He passed through an open section, adjoined balconies, before diving into the house. He searched through its rooms, using his stealth tactics to slay the two enemies he encountered. Link then returned to the balconies and nocked one arrow after another as he killed multiple bulblins swiftly as they investigated the source of the shattering window. After the third kill, the bulblins were alerted that the intruder had moved position, and Link submerged himself within the houses once more.

However, he was faced by a bulblin that he had obviously mistakenly skipped over during his search through the house. Its club was raised above his head, but before the blow occurred, Midna pounced from Link's shadow, her dark magic tearing through its chest. With a shrill scream, it fell over dead.

Link turned a quick nod in her direction, but the moment did not last for long. As he peered out the first of two windows, he discovered that-as he had expected-the rest of the guards had heard the dying scream of their comrade. The bulblins in the streets were marching in on the house he occupied, and one of their number spotted him at the window. Link quickly ducked behind the frame, but the single guard had signaled to the others of his exact location.

Link nocked an arrow to his bow and raced across the first window. Several arrows sailed toward him in the moment he exposed himself. Fortunately, all had glided through the pane after he had safely shielded himself at the wall between the two windows. He grimaced at the thought of what he was about to do, but those archers needed to be taken out. He shifted to the second window and peeked outside. He noted the position of both archers. Both were across the street on the ledges of the opposing houses.

Turning back to the other window, Link gritted his teeth and revealed himself, taking a quick aim of the leftmost archer. He released his arrow, and it sailed directly into his enemy's skull. Simultaneously, the second archer had fired toward him, an arrowhead grazing Link's neck. Just as he fell back into his hiding spot, holding a hand to his wound, several things happened at once.

He heard the remaining archer squeal, a thump following shortly afterward. Midna grinned down at him. "You're welcome again."

A sword flew toward him, Link dodging just in time for it to pierce the wall beside him. Its owner stood at the opposite end of the room at the top of the staircase. It reached to its belt for a short sword and approached him slowly.

He could hear two more sets of feet trampling through the downstairs.

Link rose to his feet and whacked his bow into his attacker's head. It stumbled to the side, having not expected such a hit from a man with blood trickling from his neck. Link then tossed down his bow and reached for a dagger, but the bulblin regained its ground. Link guarded against its superior attacks, his right hand never leaving the wound across the side of his throat. Once it left its flank open, Link thrust the dirk into its chest and twisted it violently in place.

At that time the other two bulblins jostled their way into the room, but Midna flew into action. Link understood immediately that she was covering his escape. He sheathed his dagger and raced toward his bow, grabbing and shouldering it as he leapt out of the second window and onto the ledge beyond. He raced along its surface until he came to a drop-off. Instead of turning back, however, Link leapt at the last possible moment, landing upon the open window pane of another house not far below.

The house was actually a small stable, the window dropping off into a room a level below what he had expected. What was worse was that there was another bulblin standing guard on the inside. Link leapt down onto the hay-covered floor, catching himself on his hands and knees, but attracting the attention of the bulblin. Link picked himself back up and paid no mind to the straws of hay had stuck to his bloodied right palm.

And then the bulblin was upon him; though, he caught its club in both hands as it was cast toward him in a horizontal swipe. He wrestled his enemy for control of the weapon, but the bulblin would not give ground.

A sudden aggravation swelled inside Link. _I am really getting tired of your kind._ And he released his right hand from the club, his bloodied fist landing a hard, bone-cracking punch across its mouth.

The bulblin was caught off guard from the pain pulsing through its jaw, and Link's hand was now justly covered in blood, for there were now rips across his knuckles. Link easily stole his opponent's weapon, and with a powerful smash against its head, the bulblin collapsed onto the hay.

Link stood still in that moment, letting the breath and strength surge fully into his veins once more. He took the opportunity to examine his neck wound to the best of his ability. The arrow had not struck him deep, and the pain was more plentiful than the amount of blood spilling from it. He tossed away the club and marched toward the entrance.

Midna rejoined him, entering the stable from the same window, and Link noted how silent the village now was.

As far as Link could recollect, they had killed nearly three-quarters of their number. There were only a few of them left … and he knew exactly where they were.

He and Midna peered out the open doorway, finding that the last of them still guarded the house at the back end of the village-which was now quite close to their current location. The house was in a ramshackle state, the windows boarded up from the inside and spots of the roof torn away. Two of the bulblins stood on alert at opposing sides of the door, and the last was perched on the rooftop, bow already nocked with an arrow.

"So, what's the plan, hero?" smirked Midna as she ducked back into the stable.

Link tossed her a quick glance before resetting his gaze on the bulblins. "I don't think they know we're this close."

"But," his companion added, "they know we're on this side at least."

He looked toward the archer and noticed it, too. It was sweeping the entire village with its gaze, but its bow remained positioned toward the right row of houses. So, it was settled. He had to take out the archer first since it was currently ignorant of their specific whereabouts. He readied another arrow, trying his best to ignore the swelling pain in his knuckles. Depending upon his memorization of the scene, Link closed his eyes and looked at a copy of the archer's position within his mind. He envisioned the kill in preparation of the actual task.

Inhaling his next breath and holding it, he pivoted to the outside of the stable and launched his arrow, turning back in just as the guards spotted him. A satisfying shriek signaled that he had at least hit his mark. Link then chanced another look toward the rooftop to see that his prey had been punctured in the leg, and with this injury, it lost its balance and plummeted to the ground.

Called into motion by the death of their lookout, the two bulblins abandoned their posts and charged at Link just as he sprinted toward them. He drew his blade at the last moments, ending one's life with the mortal draw that he had learned so long ago. He ducked under the thrust of the other's complementing attack and cut its legs from under it, ending its misery with a plunge of his blade to the heart.

Though he knew that he had dispatched all of the bulblins, Link still remained on guard as he approached the house. He knocked on the door, and the wobbly voice of an old woman greeted him. "Leave me be, you savages! I'm not opening up until every last one of you is gone! You hear me? So, get out of here!"

But in place of answering her with the affirmation that all of the guards were no longer within her village, Link screamed.

An arrow had pierced the back of his right shoulder, and with that, he realized that he had only slain nineteen of the twenty guards that he had counted, for there had been four guards at this house when he had initially scanned the area.

Midna had also been caught off guard, but she recovered much more quickly than the injured Link. She spun about and cast a wicked spell of black magic toward it, knocking it dead the instant the energy came into contact with its body.

Midna then floated back over to Link. He grimaced at the pain but held his lips tight to stay the cry of pain that so longed to burst free. "Pull it out," he commanded.

"But-"

"Please," Link interrupted, his breath wavering. "Just do it."

Unsure that freeing it from his shoulder would help matters, Midna nonetheless did as he asked and clutched the shaft tightly. Link held back a shriek, groaning loudly instead, as she-with the aid of her magic to minimize further damage-yanked it from his body. He breathed deeply through his nostrils at the release of the arrow from his body. He held his right arm close, his hand clutching his collar in order to keep it steady and out of the way. It would be useless to try to employ the appendage now.

It was in the same moment that Link spotted the eyes of the old woman looking out into the village between the boards of a window. He saw her eyes widen at the sight of him. In the next instant, the door flung open and she peered outside.

"Oh, please, please forgive me for not opening the door," she begged as she motioned for him to enter her home. He did so thankfully and sat down in the chair she offered him. She also, contrary to what Midna expected, acknowledged the imp and gestured for her to come inside as well. Midna hovered next to Link's right side, arms crossed but ready to defend her partner's vulnerable side.

The house was rather cluttered, everything fitting into a single room. A kitchen and dining area to the left-where Link sat-and a bed to the right. Several shelves and baskets also littered the walls and floors, and among the rugs that covered the dirty floor were at least more than ten cats and kittens. Link suddenly felt more at home upon seeing their mewing faces and the little ones playing with balls of yarn. Sera, Beth's mother, owned a cat, and Link could remember catching fish in the river back home and surrendering them to the animal, leaving Sera to believe that it had caught its meals all by itself.

"My name is Impaz," the very short, elderly woman introduced, and it snapped Link from his reverie. Impaz wore the royal blue and golden colors that decorated the Hylian flags. Wrinkles that spoke of many years lined her face, and her thin, white hair had been pulled into a bun at the top of her head. "It comes from the great one who ordered the construction of this village so long ago. I'm the last resident." She crossed to sit in a chair at the dining table. "This village was once the secret home of the proud tribe who served the royal family, but … it fell into decline and-"

Impaz cut herself off, inspecting the curves of her guest's face. "Excuse me for asking, but is your name Link?"

"Yes," he confirmed, surprised.

"Ah! So then, you saved that nice girl?" she asked with a pleased smile, already knowing the answer.

"Yes," Link repeated.

"Lovely," the woman nodded proudly. "When she was here, she would often cheer me up by saying that you would come to help. Such a sweet girl. She worried about this old woman even as I helped her to escape."

"That's why I've come," he stated, and he explained Ilia's situation.

After Link had finished his tale, Impaz sat deep in thought. "I don't know how I could be of any help." Yet, within the same moment, she dug something out from a pocket in her robes. It looked like a horseshoe, but it was strung to a cloth necklace and there were holes in its hollowed form. "Would you return this to her for me?" she asked handing it out to Link. "I think she always kept it close to her heart, but even so, she didn't hesitate to part with it in order to make me feel better."

Link took the charm and ran his thumb across its figure.

"I believe in my heart that it kept me safe all this time. So, please, give it back to that girl."

"I will," vowed Link.

But Midna's voice then rang out to him. "Link! Don't you realize?" He looked to her, but as Midna saw that he had not come to the same conclusion, she explained, "Just think. You gave her that statue and it brought us this far. What if you returned something she kept close at heart?"

The sparkle of a final hope dawned within his blue gaze. "This could be exactly what will cure her…."

"Right, so let's get going!"

Link turned back to Impaz to thank her, but the old woman's gaze had shifted to his belt. "Is that…? Could it really be … the Dominion Rod…?" Her eyes darted back to Link's. "Are you the messenger to the heavens?" Link could not answer; he did not even know what such a messenger was. But Impaz's eyes glowed, a young twinkle restoring within them. "Among the legends of my clan, there is a story from the time when the Oocca still maintained contact with the royal family. It was said that a mysterious rod was handed down from the people of the sky, the Dominion Rod. It was only to be carried by the messenger to the heavens when the royal family needed to communicate with the Oocca." The old woman stood then and turned to one of her many shelves, rummaging through the items lined or piled across the tiers she could reach.

"From generation to generation," she continued, "my ancestors have guarded the book that, by royal decree, was to be given to the messenger to the heavens. This" -she said, finally collecting an object from within the many items- "is that book, written in the ancient language of Sky Writing." She stepped over to Link again. "Please, take it."

She handed the ancient text to Link, and after pocketing Ilia's charm, he took the book. He spread his fingers wide in order to let the book fall open and the pages were in themselves beautiful. He could not read the old text, but there were also illustrations upon the pages, as if it contained stories as well as instructions.

"Meeting that girl must have been ordained by the gods, so that I could be here today to pass on this knowledge." Impaz looked up at him with the softest of smiles, one that he expected mothers often gave their children.

Link took that as his cue to thank her and take his leave, and he did just that, taking care to step over the two kittens that sat at his feet. They pawed at his boots, and he smiled down at them, kicking their ball gently away and watching them chase after it before he opened the door again.

"Please, take care of yourself," the last of the Sheikah called to him.

Link turned back to her one last time and nodded.

At last, he had obtained the final piece that was sure to break the terrible emptiness plaguing Ilia's mind. In addition, he had acquired something that he had a gut instinct would lead him to the last of the Mirror Shards.

And he knew just who to ask to translate the text. Of course … as long as he was able to convince Shad to remain still long enough to do so. Already he could imagine the fidgeting excitement that would run through his acquaintance's bones.

===============

After having pushed Epona's endurance to its highest over the past days, Link decided-even in the face of his injuries and the important items he carried-that he would let the road back through the mountains and across the fields be taken at a slower canter. Indeed, he needed to have his wounds treated most of all; however, he had been abusing his life-long companion for far too long. He could feel the objection in Midna's presence, and it was either due to her growing concern for his wellbeing or her continued desire to reclaim the pieces missing from the Mirror of Twilight.

Link drifted into a half-sleep as a new night descended, the rocking motions of Epona's trot lulling him into a restless sleep. He dreamed that a darkness, alien to that of just the night, was closing in upon him, but before the flitting dreams shifted into a more grounded state of rest, the sun pierced through his drooping eyelids, awakening him once more to the world.

They had left the northern mountains far behind, and now the walls of Castle Town loomed ahead. He had considered swerving around the bustling town that was ever in motion to avoid any stares directed toward his wounds; however, any further delays or detours could prove unwise for his health. He had wrapped his cloak anew around him, adjusting it so that his injuries were shielded from view. He still held his right arm tightly up to his body, using his untouched arm to guide him into town.

He did not dismount Epona as he crossed into the streets, and the guards passed him suspicious looks. Link did not meet their gaze in fear of endorsing conflict; instead, he merely looked out across the passersby nonchalantly, though, keeping watch of the guards' movements in his peripheral. He shifted his arm uncomfortably underneath his cloak, praying that none of the townspeople would spare him their curiosity in that moment.

That was when he reached the square and came across young Soal and his puppy. He acknowledged the boy with a slight nod, yet even that small movement made the tension in his shoulder swell once more. He did his best in hiding the grimace that followed, but he was sure by the narrowing eyes of the child that he had taken notice of his pain. To indicate to the boy that he did not wish his condition to be known, he simply produced a small smile and another nod and looked away.

He could feel Soal's eyes burning into his backside as he left town through the eastern streets. Then he was once again riding toward Kakariko, and he pressed the image of the young boy from his mind.

By midday, Epona had brought him again to the village in the mountains. He made sure to slide off her carefully so that his cloak did not shift to expose his wounds. If the others knew of his pain, they would insist in yet another delay in returning the charm to Ilia … stealing her of precious moments in which she could-hopefully-finally relax in the comfort of remembering her life.

Before he entered the sanctuary, he adjusted the collar of his tunic and cloak around the cut on his throat so that it could not be seen. He then turned the knob, and Renado was the first to greet him, asking if he had succeeded in finding the woman of whom Ilia had spoken. Link nodded and looked past the shaman. At some point over the course of the four days Link had been absent, the mighty Gorons had left the small shack, but the children still remained. Malo was sharing jokes with them. A noble attempt at lifting the tension within the room, for even as Malo tried to make them laugh, it seemed the children's giggles-even Malo's-were half-hearted.

When Colin caught sight of Link, he immediately leapt up and crossed over to him, the other children watching closely at what happened next.

"Link! Did you find anything to help Ilia?" asked Colin, his words running together in his apprehension.

But even in Link's silence, Colin found his answer and, with it, comfort, for he had spent so much time with the quiet Hylian-of-Ordon that he could read the smallest hint of expression in Link's face. Colin took a step back toward his friends, all looking on as Link approached Ilia.

Standing by her once more at the window, Link waited for her to look toward him before tossing a hand back to a pouch to retrieve her charm. Without a word of explanation of what it was or who it came from, Link handed it to Ilia … wanting her to recall the event of gifting the charm to the old woman through her own ability.

There was a long moment in which Ilia stared at the object, questions in her eyes, but just as she held it in one palm, her other hand brushing gently over its surface, a ray of light danced within her eyes. "I … I _did_ know you once…. Yes." She turned it over in her hands. "This feels so familiar…." Her eyes closed, as if her memories were crashing down over the black canvases of her eyelids. "The scent of hay…. Long ago … when we were young, you and I…. You-you were always there…."

When her eyes opened once more, she was looking directly into Link's eyes, and he could see the emerald shine within their twin sparkle that had been missing for so long. The Ilia he remembered….

"You were always beside me…. Link."

As she said his name, her tone was no longer hollow to the meaning behind the word. Her voice had been renewed, her memories of spending all those days together-with him-expressed in just that one syllable.

She remembered him.

And in that moment, Ilia embraced him … just as tightly as she had in the spring before she had been taken. Before any of this had happened. Link could hear the children laughing, truly laughing. It all sounded so beautiful to him. He had not felt this happy since he had left his simple life in Ordon, and yet … that life-no matter how full it had once seemed-had been one lived in ignorance. How could he have ever honestly seen his home, his possessions, his friends for what they were without having to fight for them? All that time…. All the while he had lived in Ordon, he had been blind to the truth of the world, the real reasons there were to be happy, to take nothing for granted.

In the next moment, he heard Renado shuffling the children quietly out of the sanctuary, and Link's muscles stiffened. Ilia's hold on him slackened, and she looked up into his eyes. There was an awkward pause between them, but Link soon broke away from her stare. He had imagined the day that Ilia would recover her memory, but now that he stood there, their arms surrounding each other … something in him seemed different. He still cared deeply for her-as he always would-but….

Something inside Link had changed. He had experienced so much since he had first been offered the honor of presenting Ordon's gifts to the royal family, and now his entire perspective on life and the world around him had changed.

Ilia stepped back from him, but their bodies remained close. "This gift was meant for you," she said, holding the charm up to him. "It was something I wanted to give you before you left on your journey."

Link took it within his grasp, staring down at it. _…I think she always kept it close to her heart…_ Impaz had said. He smiled at first, but then his eyes clouded as he looked at it. Something she kept close to her heart…. A gift for him. But then that meant….

"It's a horse call," she smiled. "For Epona." But her smile faded then, and her eyes glistened with tears.

Link felt obligated that he should say something … but the right words seemed so far out of reach. How could he tell her? Tell her that for so long….

Yet, in that moment of quiet, her sobs ran freely once more. "I just…" she tried through her gasping breaths. "I am so sorry I ever forgot you … forgot everything…. Link…." But her words were drowned by her cries.

Link remembered a time when he had wanted to cradle her injured face in the palm of his hand, at a time when she had feared his touch. Now, the bruise across her forehead and temple was all but gone, the scratches along her ear the only remnants of her pain. Link gently cupped her cheek in his hand and a quiet grin overcame him as a small tear trickled down the side of his nose. Tears soaked her cheeks and chin, but when their eyes met her cries dissolved into a smile. He wrapped his arm around her then, soothing her in a soft voice. "It's all right, Ilia." He looked out into the bright sky, leaning his head against hers. _But it's not over_. "I'm here. I've always been here."

Midna, who had left his shadow secretly when he had entered the room, sat in the shadows cast by the firelight. She looked on as Link and Ilia exchanged words and embraces, watched on as Malo had tried peeking into the room only to be quickly pulled away by another young hand.

A strange, sick feeling began to inflate within her. She could not explain the feeling, for she could not recall a day of her life in which she had previously felt so…. betrayed? Was that the word? If so, it was a different kind of betrayal, for she had known treachery all her life.

Whatever the case, all she knew was that she was disgusted in seeing the scene before her eyes, and the sooner she and Link moved on from Kakariko … the better she would feel.


	38. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35: Celestia**

As Ilia's hold on Link tightened, he could no longer hold the ruse that he had not been wounded. His breath caught when she touched his backside, and she immediately stepped away, looking at him as a glint of concern filled her eyes. "You're hurt," she said, grasping the fold of his cloak.

"It's not that bad," tried Link, as she peeked under his cloak.

Immediately, Ilia saw his hand covered in blood and she gasped. When she looked back up at him, he saw it in her eyes. Fear, confusion, uncertainty, sadness. They had all been stirred together within Ilia, for it was the first time that she could relate his old life with his new one, a life that came as a slap to her cheek from not having realized who he was all this time. The boy she had grown up with was suddenly like a knight of Hyrule, taking lives and coming close to surrendering his own.

To her … it was as if he had become a man within an eye blink. But none of it mattered. She could remember him now, and that very same friend she had known all her life still looked back at her within those eyes as blue as oceans. In that, she found a reason to smile.

===============

Ilia walked with Link back to Renado's house where she hailed the shaman. He guided them up to the guestroom where Prince Ralis had once been. Luda was straightening the now empty bed, and Link cast a questioning glance toward Renado.

"He is fully recovered, and he left to return to his people not long ago," he offered, and he pulled the stool next to the bed out and motioned for Link to sit down.

As Ilia helped Link remove his cloak, she saw the true extent of his wounds. She tried not to acknowledge her worry, but seeing him like this-blood covering his hand, trickling down his throat, radiating from his shoulder wound-it brought the worst feeling of sick onto her that she had ever experienced.

Link held his arm as he lowered himself onto the stool, for the wound in his back was more than a day old. Already its soreness had crept throughout his entire arm, making it hard to move without an ache sprinting through the web of his nerves. He could only thank that his sword arm had not been affected by the brutality of the bulblins.

Renado and Ilia then helped Link in removing his shirts and weapons, and the shaman handed them to his daughter to clean. Treating Link's wounds was a rather long process, but luckily, none of his injuries had been further afflicted with infection. It was during this procedure that a familiar, red-haired face peeked into the room.

"I thought that was your horse outside," greeted Shad, but at the sight of his injured body, he stammered. "Oh, well … oh my. Are you all right?"

Link reassured the bespectacled young man, and Shad immediately began rambling once Link asked him of his presence in Kakariko. "Oh, I've been investigating the Hyrulean legend of the sky beings, the Oocca. There is actually a very interesting statue in the cellar of the sanctuary here, and it perfectly matches the drawings in my father's manuscripts. It has an engraving, but I haven't been able to translate it thoroughly. You see, I don't have enough background in Sky Writing to be able to manage a translation, but I'm sure that this statue holds great secrets as to the Oocca race."

As Shad continued with his explanations, the mention of the Sky Writing reminded Link of the second reason he had ignored his injuries for so long. He turned to Ilia and asked her to fetch a book from the bundles that Epona carried. As she left Link returned his attention to Shad. He supposed that the son of a scholar was tired of constantly being interrupted by the others of the Group; therefore, he allowed Shad to lecture him on the topic for as long as it would take Ilia to return … because then the young researcher would have something else to pour over.

"My father's journals carry extensive texts on their language, but there are few places where he relates back to their writings. I think he could read their language so expertly that he thought direct translations would be a waste of time better spent studying their culture." Shad stood in silence for a moment, as if he was looking back through the years, returning to a time wherein he had listened to his father as he muttered words in the Sky language.

He broke free of his reverie when Link asked, "Who are the Oocca exactly?"

"Ah," a twinkle of excitement washed through his eyes, obviously thrilled that someone was indeed interested in the ancient legends. "According to the ancient legends, Hyrule was made by the Hylians, who, as we all know, are the closest race to the gods."

Link nodded along as Shad spoke. He could remember a time when the Ordonians were all he knew, and he recalled with the hint of a grin the first time Rusl had told him he was instead a Hylian and that the shape of his ears were supposed to give him and all others like him the heightened ability to hear the gods. He had sat outside that same night trying in vain to hear their whispers.

"But also according to legend," continued Shad, "long ago there was a race even closer to the gods, and some say these creatures made the Hylians."

Link's eyes sparked with interest at this. To encounter such a being….

"When they created the people of Hylia, they simultaneously created a new capital, a city that floated in the heavens. They dwelt there … and some scholars-like my father and myself-believe that the Oocca live there still … somewhere in the great sky. Beings of the sky…. Isn't it simply marvelous?"

Indeed, Link did have to agree. At the mention of a being greater than Hylians-the race that most of their time had believed to be the closest descendants of the gods-Link had attuned his pointed ears even closer to Shad's words. Link knew that a great many in Hyrule, the Hylians especially, would consider such stories as blasphemy. Although, Link had to admit, that if a vast majority of people truly did accept such legends to be true, there would sure to be other legends and knowledge soon brought into doubt.

It was certain by Shad's tone that not many had heard of his family's research. Link could not be sure how such a state for Hyrule would be resolved, but he knew certain groups would be outraged at the ideas Shad presented. There would be those that would discredit any of his findings; however, if they were to have evidence….

The sky city…. The thought was a fascinating one. To meet an ancient race, the makers, creators of the Hylian continent.

"Can you imagine it, old boy?" breathed Shad, leaning comfortably against the wall.

That was when Ilia stepped back into the room, and Link motioned for her to give the book within her hands to Shad. The red-haired youth perked up as soon as he noticed it in her grip. As Link explained where it came from, Shad opened the book and bounced through its pages, his eyes widening at the wealth of knowledge contained within it. "Yes, yes! This is wonderful. With this and my father's journals I may be able to translate the text here and the engraving, but it will take some time."

Before Link could reply, Renado interjected, "Time is something he will have plenty of." When Link turned toward the shaman, he continued. "These wounds need time to mend."

Though, Link had already guessed that his current state would require a longer period of time to heal than he had ever previously allowed himself. He looked toward Ilia and found her smiling. He grinned, too, for no matter how many times he had proven himself to Renado, the shaman was still quite capable of gently scolding the restless youth that still lingered within him.

"I'll get to it then," said Shad. He waved in farewell as he pushed his glasses up, exiting the room once more, nose deep within his new book.

When Renado had at last finished applying his medicines and bandages, Link stretched his arm. Though it still ached tremendously, the initial tenderness had faded. Link thanked Renado and the shaman bowed politely and excused himself from the room.

Link and Ilia's eyes met again in that moment, and the smile on her face dwindled to a small, caring grin. She approached him then and laid a hand on his bare shoulder. "Feeling better?"

"A little," he teased, but in all respects it was true. "How about you?"

Her grin widened again, and she hummed a short laugh, but there was a sign of a few tears in her eyes. Joyful tears. "I'm glad I can finally remember that smile," she replied. "So, I don't want you to worry about me any longer. Whenever your journey is at an end, I'll be waiting for you, Link. We all will be."

She gave him another hug, gently this time, and then left the room.

Link stared after her for a moment, a thousand thoughts seeming to attack his mind at the same time, but only one overwhelmed them all. He smiled, bowing his head, finally having found some measure of peace. He had saved Ilia. She was all right.

A familiar voice then echoed through his mind and shattered his tranquility. "Well, all of this sounds very promising."

Link looked up at Midna, who hovered thoughtful in a corner of the room. As he looked to her, she broke away from her inward wonderings and floated over to him. "You should see if Shad needs help."

This was the side of Midna that he had come to disregard at times, the part of her that still thought selfishly. Though, he knew that there was kindness and a noble nature within her, and that was why he supposed he had remained with her for so long. He did not know a lot about her, but he knew that she had been through much in her lifetime, that she had experienced things beyond his imagining.

And it was times like these that he felt she needed to be reminded that there were others in this fight as well. "I'm sure Shad can handle it, but if you insist … be my guest."

Link stood and stepped away from her, descending gratefully into the bed near to the stool. As he pulled the covers over himself, he realized just how tired he had become. Through all his physical trials of claiming the Fused Shadows and rediscovering mirror shards, he could not remember feeling so exhausted. Perhaps all those tasks were truly nothing as great as the emotional challenges he had faced throughout his journey. He could remember every time he had ever cried as he had struggled forward far easier than he could recall the times that he had sustained an injury.

With a wearied sigh, he relaxed and fell into dreams almost instantly.

Midna stared angrily toward him for a moment before she relented. She hated realizing how cold she could be sometimes, for she truly had grown to care about this world. They were all at Ganondorf and Zant's mercy. Yet … she also hated it, hated that she cared. It made her feel weak and helpless and seeing Link acting so selflessly all the time made her feel empty. She had severed herself from caring about others for so long and seeing Link tire over helping them, helping every single person, made her jealous.

All she had ever cared about was helping her own people, and she had only ever known hatred for the people of the light world, those who mocked the twilight, ran from it. But coming here … traveling with Link … she had come to realize how wrong she had been. Link was someone who fought for what he believed in. He had fought for Hyrule long before he knew his true role in the battles to come. She, however, had always fought for what she wanted and what she felt obligated to do.

There had been a selfish end to her desires in the beginning, but now … after having made that connection to the light world, after getting to know the courage that was within Link…. She realized how truly alike they were, and how very similar the people of the light and the shadows were.

It was something that should have brought a smile to her face. She looked at Link as her eye softened from its rage. Would there ever be a time when Link would understand why she did and said the things that she had? Would there ever truly be a moment when he really acknowledged what had made her who she was? Would he ever honestly and deeply care about her the way he cared about Hyrule, the Ordonians, Ilia…?

===============

Link spent a few days resting in Kakariko Village. He took advantage of the time he had been awarded to rest and relax while Shad worked. Each morning he bathed in the hot springs to help nurse his wounds. In the hours of the day he would take Epona out on rides and train with his blade in order to keep both their senses sharp; in the evenings he spent much of his time with the children, listening more to their stories than he did tell his own. He even helped cook the meals while he stayed in Kakariko, but he did not always eat the food he prepared; having been on the road for very near a month now, his stomach was used to eating very little quantities. He was lucky if he had the appetite for two meals a day. Renado and Ilia grew aware of and reluctantly accepted this circumstance, but to soothe the children when they noticed he did not eat morning and evening meals with them, he replied with, "I ate earlier," and that was the end of their concern.

When he was not with the children, he spent time with Ilia, catching up for lost time and telling her all about the places he had visited. He left out the finer details of the battles he had waged. She knew enough now from him, the children, and Renado that Link had been destined to battle the evils which now plagued their land, and coming to terms with the true reality of the terrors stretching across Hyrule was difficult for her to process. However, when Link's solitude with Ilia grew uncomfortable, sometimes from all the questions she asked about his journey which were the details he had purposefully left out of his tales.

Other times, however, Link's discomfort blossomed from an entirely different feeling. Sometimes, during the course of their conversations, Ilia and he grew closer together; he could not remember how or when they had scooted closer, and every time he felt her so near to him he could not help questioning why it felt so … different … wrong … unsettling. A month ago he would have welcomed the comfort, welcomed the closeness, but he had to admit … something in him had indeed shifted. Each time this happened, Link found a polite way of excusing himself from her, and each time he retreated to the same place.

Link sat there now-at the highest point in Kakariko where he had seen Barnes take watch once upon a time. Here, he was alone to think. In his mind he was always planning, always preparing. His thoughts for Ilia confused and troubled him, and here he could escape those feelings as he looked out over the mountains of the gorge to stare at the black and yellow barrier that obstructed Hyrule Castle.

His constant reminder. A reminder that Princess Zelda needed him. A reminder that any day could be his last.

One day … very soon … he would break that barrier and purge the castle of any evil remnants.

After he dealt with Zant, and after he had put an end to Ganondorf's scheme….

After he reassembled the Mirror of Twilight….

===============

Each day Link had spent in the village he had looked in on Shad, and each time the scholar was deep in his musings as he read, made notes, and paced in thought. For once, it had been difficult to retrieve any kind of reply from him, but Link had understood that to be a sign that Shad would soon find the answers he so desperately needed to advance his journey.

It was the morning of the fifth day of his time in the village that Link awoke to hear jubilant ramblings from the downstairs. Midna prodded Link out of bed, telling him that she had been watching over Shad and that he had successfully come to a translation of a great part of the ancient Sky Book and the engraving on the owl statue in the sanctuary's cellar.

Link rose from the bed and-after checking the fresh bandages around his shoulder-dressed himself in his full armor and weapons, and he had pulled his cloak over his shoulders just as Shad had entered the room to recount his accomplishments himself. Link allowed him to relate his findings as if Midna had never informed him, and together he and Shad headed over to the sanctuary.

Shad led Link down into the tunnel below the central statue, and Link followed suit, pretending that he had never delved this deep into the building. He could still remember the itch of his fur when he and Midna had been hunting for the dark insects to free the Eldin spirit. Yet, he pushed the thought from his mind as Shad brought him into the outlet where there was a small table set up. A small lantern-which, as Link inspected closer, looked much like the one he had left here before heading to the lakebed-sat upon the tabletop, lighting the room dimly. Link supposed that the stool sitting near it had occupied Shad for countless hours in the past days.

Shad indicated the statue; it rested within the wall as if it were just another piece of rock. This artifact that had taken up so much of the young man's attention was in the shape of an owl, which grew smaller in size near the bottom.

"Look, here, at the belly," indicated Shad. "There's something written here, you see?" Link stepped closer to the statue, running a hand over the inscription. " 'Awaken us.' A simple instruction, to say the least, but I found a part of the text in the Sky Book that speaks of the owl statue, and I believe that I've finally found what we need."

Link stepped back as Shad opened the book to a page marked by his dagger. "Ah, yes, here." Shad cleared his throat and, in a deeper octave, he recited a phrase in a chanting voice. As his voice died away, his anticipation was clear, yet there was no indication that the chant had produced any effect on the ancient sculpture.

Link could already feel Midna's frustration at Shad's apparent incompetence. She, certainly, would not be happy if she discovered she had been waiting four days for nothing.

"Blast! How confounding," said Shad, closing the book on his finger. "What can this mean? I thought this would solve the riddle."

Just as Shad lifted an agonized hand to his forehead, he and Link heard a low, rumbling hum. At once, Link felt the vibration within him, and he lifted his cloak. The staff that he had found within the Temple of Time again brimmed with energy. Shad looked to the device, and his eyes nearly grew as wide as his spectacles. "Where did you find that? Oh!" Shad reopened the old book and flipped back a few pages, as his words slurred together in a whirl of excitement. "That artifact! I've seen it in this book! Oh, this is a find! A find!" He showed a page to Link, where there was a diagram of the staff, text littering the page and margins around it. "The Dominion Rod! Yes! That phrase was only one key to unlocking the mystery here, and it was only an incantation to return the energy to the rod…." His voice trailed away momentarily as he read through a portion of the text. "And, yes!" he shouted. "The Dominion Rod is what will guide our way, I know it!"

Link felt a prickle radiate from his shadow, and, with Midna's impatience reminding him of the device's ability, he yanked the rod from his belt. Shad stared toward him expectantly, his zeal as clearly defined as if he were a young child.

Link concentrated for a moment, and a yellowish green glow soon sparked at the end of the rod. He gave the staff a quick jerk in the direction of the statue, and the orb of energy consumed it and filled it with life almost instantly. Its etchings gleamed with green, defining its features, outlining the face of an owl and its folded wings.

"Amazing! Spectacular!" Shad's voice reverberated with an enthusiastic squeal, as Link then guided the statue away from its niche in the wall to reveal a hidden tunnel. Shad's eagerness throughout the course of the last few days was dwarfed in that moment. The thrill that ran through his bones shook his very core of existence. "I knew this was something important, some key to the secrets of the Oocca! But this-this is incredible! Stunning…. I feel almost nervous…."

Shad approached the entrance to the tunnel in that moment and peered down its length, eager and tentative to rush inside all in the same moment. Darkness shrouded its walls, and he reached over for the lantern to cast back the veil. The passage tunneled deeper, a stairway leading down slowly into some place they could not see from this distance. Just as Shad was taking his first step, Link threw out a hand, and Shad tossed his gaze back toward him.

With a single look, Shad understood that Link wished to enter first in case there were … problems to deal with. "Oh, yes, yes. Go ahead," said Shad, offering the lantern out to Link. He took it and led the way down the tunnel. The fingers of his other hand flexed outward, prepared to dive for dagger or sword if necessary.

At every splatter of a shadow created by the lantern's light, Link could smell the fear that Shad tried to mask. It was odd, for though Link had gained heightened senses due to his transformations into the divine beast, this was the first time that he could distinctly sniff the fright in someone. Link's only explanation was that perhaps Shad was much less capable of containing such emotions. After all, had he not divulged that his skills did not exactly include combat? Yet, he could also sense the incredible thrill within Shad. Such a mix could be expected of any individual investigating secrets of the past. The delight of finding the unknown, Link supposed, which-in some cases-the unknown was something not wanting to be found.

The stairway soon leveled out and guided them upward again, and Link wondered just where they would end up. Yet, he supposed if he were some sky being, the depths of an earthbound mountain would serve as the perfect hiding place for any kind of treasure.

They passed through the passage without incident, Link coming to a halt at the mouth of a cavern. Shad stepped up alongside him, pushing up his glasses as his jaw fell agape. "This … this is absolutely…." The wonder thickened his voice into speechlessness, as he stepped into the hollowed area.

Light speckled the room from cracks that dotted the ceiling, which was held up by several surrounding posts. The design of the columns was simplistic in comparison to that of the other cultures Link had encountered. Trees had sprouted at the few spots that obtained sunlight, and though they were the frailest plants that Link had ever seen, they were still very much alive.

Link was not sure what Shad had been expecting, but an empty dead end underneath a mountain was definitely something that Link had not been imagined when Shad had told him of the race that had supposedly created the Hylians. However, something seemed to have attracted the young man's attention, for he called Link over to a wall moments later.

"Look at this! Bring the lantern!" he exclaimed, as Link stepped up alongside him. Squinting at the wall that had absorbed Shad's attention, Link handed the lantern to him. When Shad lifted the light to the wall, Link saw what he had been so excited about. There were extensive markings littering the walls, which likely covered the entire cavern with the way they seemed to progress from one to the next.

Link looked closer at one image. It looked rather like a chicken, but its head was egg-shaped. Shrugging at the strange marking, he turned to the area Shad inspected. His nose was nearly skimming the wall he was looking so closely at a group of engravings, an area that looked like the text inside the Sky Book.

"This-this is brilliant!" he exclaimed.

"What? Can you read what it says?" asked Link.

"Mm, yes," nodded Shad. "It speaks of the Oocca sky city. The city of the heavens. Celestia, they call it. Oh, how wonderful!" He turned back to the tunnel and ran toward it, calling back to Link, "I _must_ get my other books!"

Link shook his head in amusement, for it seemed that finding this trove had erased all of Shad's previous fears. The amount of knowledge that these walls likely contained impressed and amazed Link; though, just as he was imagining Midna's disappointed reaction, he heard her voice beside him. "Hmm, this seems a dead end, doesn't it?" she said, and there was an uncommon tone within her that Link had not expected. Instead of ushering him out to look for other clues, she seemed to be looking at her surroundings, trying to make sense of it all. The hasty imp that he had met so long ago would have turned back at the sight. Of course, the Midna he had first met would not have wanted to help Shad at all; she would have insisted it a waste of precious time.

He moved about the cave and the light from above rained upon him intermittently as he stepped in and out of the shadows. There seemed to be nothing else of value within the chamber. Link tripped over a raised spot in the ground and only casually gazed back at the area as he continued on, but something about the shape of the rock made him cast a second glance. He looked to it again, and it seemed that its design had not naturally been made. It was hard to tell in the dimness what exactly the carvings were, but their vague outline reminded him of the Temple of Time. He pulled the Dominion Rod loose and crouched down.

By this time Midna had come to his side, looking over the spot as Link traced the rim with a hand. It was circular in shape, and as he passed his fingers over the center of the platform, he felt a small niche. His expression drew into puzzlement for a moment, but he then looked to the staff in his opposite hand. He shifted the rod in his grip to look closer at the end of it, and after running a hand over the tip, he concluded the matter.

Link leaned forward again, finding the niche with one hand and easing the Dominion Rod down into it with the other. As soon as it clicked into place, a ball of energy grew at its top, the lines running down its length lighting up as well. As the energy traveled down the rod and reached the end, the light also spread across the platform. Link rose and took a step back as he watched, but then it seemed the entire cavern hummed to life. A pounding vibration caught inside Link and Midna, thudding against their heartbeats. The raw power Link felt enveloping the chamber made him dizzy, almost to the point of vomiting, but as he took a few breaths, he was able to attune his body to the unnatural tremors.

He gazed about the chamber as the twinkle of light caught his eye, and he found that all the carvings along the walls were coming to life with yellow-green energy. Their combined radiance made the lantern Shad had stolen away with obsolete. It was an impressive display, and both Link and Midna found themselves staring about in awe.

"So, you are the one," a voice then spoke.

The companions jumped at the sound and turned in all directions in search of the source.

"You have come at last," it spoke again.

Link finally found the identity of the voice when he looked along the ground. Standing in front of Midna and him was the spitting image of the chicken-like figure he had seen on the wall. Now being able to see the actual creature, he could distinguish its features more easily. Its two-foot-tall body was covered in layers of yellow feathers, its short wings folded against its sides. A long neck-which accounted for half its height-held its egg-shaped head, its facial features small and close together. Its round, red eyes gazed up at Link.

"Welcome, brave adventurer," it said. "I have been expecting you."

"Expecting me? Who- What are you?" asked Link.

"I am one of the Oocca," it said in its voice that sounded both masculine and feminine, but somehow Link understood it to be female.

Link took a step back. A sky being…. Though its presence still astonished him, the tiny bird-like creature was a bit … smaller … than he had been expecting. Perhaps it was Shad's fervor in trying to open the way to this chamber that made his imagination run wild with thoughts pertaining to how these Oocca looked, how they spoke, how they acted…. Numerous details had been worked out inside his imagination even against his knowledge, for this small creature was nothing like the one he now realized he had been waiting to meet. Although, it was clear by its voice that it was a being of great divinity.

"I am Ooccoo. I come from the City in the Sky. Celestia," it offered, and Link offered his own name and home village in return. "I wish my waiting here were under far more honorable matters, but our city has been overtaken by a monster. I was called forth to seek the aid of the Messenger. You carry the Dominion Rod, technology of the Oocca, and a communion between our two worlds. You are the one."

Midna then rained down on the sky being. "So, wait a second," she interrupted. "Why didn't you guys defeat this beast for yourselves? Unless…." She turned to her Hylian companion. "Link! This beast! It must be the power of the Mirror Shard!"

Link nodded and knelt down to Ooccoo. "What is this beast exactly?"

"So, you will come, yes?" asked Ooccoo excitedly with a small, feminine squeak.

"To your sky city?" asked Link, but it was more directed toward himself than either of the other two. The thought of actually visiting the city of the heavens was more than he could digest in a matter of moments. If Shad had been with them then, he supposed that the young scholar would have fainted at such an offer, much less meeting one of the Oocca in person. He knew Shad would have been jealous, perhaps outraged if he had overheard that Link was needed … that he was to be left behind while someone else explored the city and culture of his-and his father's-dreams.

Yet, his moment of awestruck contemplation soon passed and he looked to Ooccoo, nodding his affirmation. He was then instructed to stand upon the platform where he had placed the Dominion Rod. Midna and Ooccoo joined him on the dais an instant later, the former descending once more into Link's shadow. When Link gripped the staff, the symbols below his feet glowed, and in the next instant it felt as though his body were being ripped apart from the inside. The stranger part of this, however, was the fact that there was not even the dullest of pains. After the tearing and then a fiery sensation, the room before him disappeared into a blur of white and grey and blue.

Link and Ooccoo disappeared, along with the Dominion Rod and all the light that had once energized the cavern.

When Shad stumbled excitedly back into the chamber moments later, he was at once chattering away to a Link that he realized minutes later was no longer present. He stopped midsentence and mid step, holding the lantern up in one hand, as his other bore the weight of five books and other journals.

"Hello?" he called.

There was no reply, and Shad thought Link's absence a little strange. Seeing as though he was used to exploring such places on his own, however, he thought little of it moments later as he propped his books on the ground. "Impatient fellow. Well, I suppose he'll just miss out then."

===============

When Link rematerialized once more, the first thing he noticed were colors of white and blue and pale green. Squinting against the brightness that bounced off what looked like fog, he breathed deep, reactively trying to catch his breath. However, the air was different. Even though there was a deep haze about him, the air was thinner here, and he found breathing difficult. He heard the familiar tone of Ooccoo as wind suddenly pounded against his ears. He could not make out any of the words, as he held onto the Dominion Rod tightly to combat the gust that nearly forced him over.

He could see Ooccoo's figure walking away through his narrowed eyes, and after the wind died he followed behind the sky being as he lifted a hand against the brightness. His feet fell hard with each step, as if gravity wanted to suck him down now more desperately than it ever had.

When the wind knocked into him once more, he was sent sideways across the wide path, and just as he realized there was nothing to hold on to this time, he prayed that something would break his movements instead. In that moment he landed hard against the side of the path, buckling partly over its edge. It was then he realized … if he fell from the path, he would fall onto nothing, for below him … there was only a bright white haze.

That was when the reality of his situation truly came to him. He had been transported to the City in the Sky, and far below that white fog-the clouds-was Hyrule … somewhere.

He held onto the edge firmly, sucking in as much air as he could in his panicking gasps. He resigned himself to sit with his back against the side of the path then, trying to bypass his new condition; the shock lasted only momentarily, the disorientation of coming to the city fading shortly after his initial anxiety attack. He closed his eyes against the sky in an attempt to disassociate himself with the intensity of it all. Perhaps living in the heavens was not as glorious as some thought … or it took a moment to become accustomed to its effects.

Link took another deep breath, controlling his lungs more now as he consumed the air through his nostrils and released it through a crack in his lips. After a moment he had assimilated the dizzying effects of the air and the noise of the random winds as part of a lifestyle in which he now participated. Then he opened his eyes to the skies, and again he was assailed by the intensity of the clouds' luminosity. He blinked several times, and after a pause, his eyes adjusted to the light.

Exhaling a final, calming breath, Link waited for the next gust to die down before he lifted himself up to follow after the distant figure of Ooccoo. It was then that he could distinguish outlines among the many clouds, the outlines of a floating city. There was a central, massive building to which Ooccoo retreated, decorated in plain details but in an amazing array of shapes and colors-some of which Link was not sure had names according to Hylian education. The other buildings hovered at varying distances, surrounding the central structure. They were either connected by outside pathways, enclosed catwalks, or nothing at all. Blue, white, and golden colors were painted most prominently across their outsides.

Celestia. The heavenly city of the sky. It was no wonder Shad had spent most of his life dedicated to learning as much as he could about this place and its inhabitants, for once one managed to mingle with the sky beings' atmosphere, the city was a spectacle. A masterpiece.

The City in the Sky was an artwork of the Oocca, and Link smiled at the serenity that he was now able to find in the sight.

Yet, Ooccoo looked back toward him then and flapped her wings-a wingspan which was actually quite wide, disproving Link's earlier assumptions. Understanding the gesture Link pressed forward, heading toward the central building of the great city in the clouds


	39. Chapter 36

**Chapter 36: Master of the Sky**

The rush of air was constant, a panging annoyance against the white marble bricks … and his eardrums. The size and sensitivity of Link's ears made the wind all the more discomforting. He wondered for a moment, as he struggled behind the Oocca creature, why the proud sky beings seemed unaffected by the harsh conditions of the air, but the answer quickly came to him. Their ears were fused to the sides of their head, no skin protruding outward like the ground-dwelling races of Hyrule. It was no wonder the wind did not conduct as forcefully through their cavities. Link realized now that this had been the first time in a while that he once more loathed the heightened hearing that his lupine essence had enhanced.

They came upon the entrance to the building ahead, its golden doors opening into the hollow of its frame to allow them access. Their slow, heavy motion gave Link an ominous feeling about what lay ahead. Nonetheless, he followed the ancient being into the building.

Once inside, Link's breath seemed to stop. The sky city was a marvel to uphold, and he felt his insides almost squeal in a way that reminded him of Shad. It would be an archaeologist's dream just to look upon the architecture of the Oocca. It was almost cave-like in construction, a large hollow. And though its configuration had been damaged in numerous places, he could still see the room as if it had never been touched by an invader's hand, decorated beyond imagination. There were four tall pillars holding up the domed ceiling, all of the stones in perfect alignment with its neighbors. A large golden orb hung down from the ceiling like a giant bauble, the light from the outside reflecting off its surface and filling the entire room with an ethereal glow. The floor and walls so polished, so refined. The sky nowhere in sight, the walls tightly pressed together and hung with ornaments of silk and stone.

However, no matter how much Link could stand there and imagine the room without its fractures, nothing could return it to its original glory. As soon as he had been transported here he had felt the weight of the city's age, and now he saw it clearly. The strong pillars now crawled with greenery, sections of the walls were torn away to reveal its hidden metal framework, and the large orb above now cast a rusted, dull gleam into the room. It seemed that the touch of a single finger could break away its now brittle construction.

But the weight Link felt … it was not solely from the city's intimidating age. There was a presence here, a force that had cast the pall of twilight even into these heavens and torn its halls and hanging ledges.

A society's finest work … reduced to mere ruins.

Link turned to Ooccoo in that instant. As Midna withdrew from his shadow, he realized she must have hidden in order to not be swept away within the harsh winds.

"Tell me, what happened here?" he asked the tiny creature as he squatted to one knee.

Now, instead of hovering as she normally did, Midna, too, floated down to the level of Ooccoo, standing alongside her partner.

As it spoke a celestial melody seemed to embody its voice, not as defined as the soothing voices of the Light Spirits, but now-within the skies of the creature's natural environment-he could hear a certain gentle femininity among its words. "Some time ago our great city came under attack. At first we could not understand how anything could reach us here. We have lived in peace within the clouds for generations without disturbance. Some of the Oocca had warned us all of the dangers they felt closing in. They could feel an evil spreading across the lands of Hyrule below, but so few believed their tales. I was one who believed.

"I remained in waiting for some time, waiting for the day to act. Yet … I did not foresee the day of attack, when the beast came upon our city. Then there was no question. Something had to be done. We are not warriors, young Hylian, therefore we had no means of combating such a foe. I volunteered to return to the surface to wait for the Messenger to the Heavens. We all believed in the Messenger, for it has been written time and again in history that the Messenger shall rise up in the time of great need and seek his destiny … perhaps even without truly knowing where it will ultimately lead him."

At that the small creature seemed to cast a knowing smile at Link. Within an instant Link could see himself in his mind … at every instant he had doubted, at every instant he had been blind to the real dangers and the outcomes of his decisions and actions.

"But enough talk of this. The danger has consumed this entire city, and the beast rages constantly. Most of my people have been imprisoned at the center of the city. Others have managed to have gone undiscovered … hiding, waiting for you."

"How do I reach them?" asked Link immediately, and Oocca seemed to be impressed by his selflessness, knowing how this trait was so uncommon amongst the lower beings.

But then a screech filled the air, echoing through the breaks in the walls. Link was suddenly on his feet again, hand ready to dart for his sword. "What-?"

Oocca took a few steps in front of Link and Midna toward the sound. Her eyes narrowed. "The beast has become aware of your presence. The winds have carried your scent to it."

Another roar immersed the room, the sound of a low, angry howl. Its voice died quickly, its roughness seemingly cutting short its vocal ability.

Link ran through the door straight ahead, Midna and Ooccoo following after him. They remained in the doorway so that the wind did not affect them as harshly, while Link leaned out slightly to gain a better view of his surroundings. He squinted against the blinding luminosity of the clouds.

Among the great buildings and towers of the sky city, there was a figure blanketed in white fluff in the distance. And it was coming nearer with each second.

Blinking away the colliding winds, Link focused on the shape, trying to distinguish its identity. It was a beast of the sky; that much he knew, but it seemed too large to be a kargorok, and its roar had not matched that of the shrill, ear piercing tones of the Hyrulean animal.

No, what flew toward them was otherworldly even to this majestic place, for as it approached, Link he could clearly identify its shape. Out of all the tales, of all the stories that Link had delighted in as a young boy, this creature had flown out of his favorite myths.

A dragon.

Yet of all the times he had eagerly asked Rusl to tell him of the legends of dragons, he had also learned in those times that few had ever seen dragons up close. Their nature was said to be vigilant and merciless, but he remembered arguing with Rusl many a time about their seemingly cruel and destructive temperament. It had always seemed to him that the dragons in such tales were merely protecting themselves or their nesting grounds.

This dragon, however, had been tamed by evil; its mere existence serving that of a twisted nature. Its black scales were polished yet dull through the fog, yet its wingspan and a few of its joints appeared as crimson smears against the blur of its motion. Realizing that the black scales were actually armor, Link agreed completely with Midna's previous conclusion. This was a monster either controlled or created by the twilight's power.

It screeched again as it swooped overhead, and the threesome ducked back inside, watching from behind the doorframe. The dragon reeled its mighty neck, and dove down to intersect the pathway leading to the next building. As it soared over it, its talons crashed into the stone, tearing through it without even slowing. The beast continued on its way, receding once more into the distance until it landed on the peak of the highest building.

"You must help us, brave adventurer!" called Ooccoo, and Link looked down to her. "Argorok must be driven from this city before it is completely destroyed. Before the other Oocca are killed!"

"You have my word," he offered resolutely. "By the end of this night, the beast will be but a memory."

"I wish you the blessings of the Goddesses," said Ooccoo, and she whirled around and reentered the building behind them.

_No time to waste then_, Link thought as he took in his surroundings. The inaccessible building ahead was exactly the place he needed to go. With the main catwalk diminished to brick and dust, he would need to find another way to reach it. There had been two other doors leading off from the building behind him, but as he looked to either side, it did not appear that either adjacent structure was connected to the one before him. There seemed to be countless small and medium-sized buildings that floated by themselves, disjointed from the ensemble of the city. Link surmised that these were likely the personal dwellings of the Oocca set aside from the main city. The city itself was a place of many levels and extensive interconnectivity, all pathways leading to the center of town, as it were.

Above him reigned another level to the building, and high, high above, a pathway that crossed over. The only problem was that there was no apparent means of reaching the upper floor. Link tossed his gaze about, searching.

Midna seemed to be in the same mindset, and she offered a suggestion. "Maybe one of the other buildings has a way up."

But Link spotted an alternate route just as she finished speaking. "Why waste time in looking?"

"Wha-?" her voice cut out as she watched Link climb onto the delicate archway leading up to the doorframe. He balanced himself, clinging to the wall, before beginning his ascension, using the framework of the walls to propel him upward.

Midna sneered. "Or you could climb the outside of a building of a sky city that's hovering who knows how high up in the clouds with gusty winds always threatening to blow you into oblivion. Yes, that does seem the better choice."

Link ignored her sarcasm. He could not afford to misuse his time in seeking a way up that could likely not exist within the other buildings. Each second he spent fighting his way toward the dragon was a precious moment that could see the end of an Ooccan life. Time was nothing to be taken for granted here.

He eased up the wall slowly, Midna now within his shadow to avoid the winds that continually ate into Link. Had the gusts not progressively become stronger the higher he inched forward, he suspected that his end goal would have come much sooner. Each time the current rushed against him, he had to latch onto the metalwork tighter and closer. His muscles began aching terribly due to the pressure against him, but if he surrendered to the wind he would either be cast off into the void of the sky, or-at the luckiest-land broken on the floor below.

As another wind raged past him, he stopped momentarily. He tried not to look downward, but the instinct was only human. The ground below seemed so distant now. He had made excellent progress despite the natural obstacles, and as he switched his gaze above, he saw that the higher pathway was not much farther away.

He took extra care as he came closer still, the wind blowing at him at an odd angle as the path above diverted its natural course. Several vines flourished above, streaming down the sides of the building and the bridge. As he switched from the grating to the greenery, the wind howled mightily, catching him off-guard blowing his body away from the wall. He held on tightly to several of the vines, blinking back the harsh gust, his eyes watering from its contact.

Fortunately, the vines were incredibly strong, resistant to the atmosphere of its habitat, and the next moment Link had managed to pull himself to safety. He stood on an open ledge, sheltered from the increased winds by walls erected on either side. To Link's amazement, vines were not the only plants to populate the area. There were sprouts of grass littered like patches of a quilt across the groundwork, stretching across the bridge as well.

Link flexed his shoulder, trying to ignore how the climb had revived a tenderness within his still healing wound. Without further postponement he started across the catwalk, finding that sections of its sides had broken away some time ago. He clutched tightly to the remaining bits, halting his struggle forward each time the wind surged anew.

After a time Link at last reached the other side and immediately plunged into the building. It was in worse shape than the first room he had occupied. All lively color seemed to have been stripped away. Either the insides of the city had been drained by the wear of time, or the dragon had torched the color from the walls. The same empty feeling had overcome Link at all the ruins he had been forced to visit during his travels. And so the sky was hardly the limit to such evil.

As soon as he took one step into the room, a tremble vibrated through his foot. With a swift glance down, he realized that the stones beneath him were breaking away, and he leapt back immediately, watchful for any indication that his new support would fall also. After he was satisfied that his weight would hold, he looked on as the stones before him jostled free at the will of gravity and pulled downward. He peered through the new hole to watch as the stones were shattered upon making contact with the floor of the room below-one, he noted, that also had a few stones shaken loose. He could see the blinding whiteness below the city.

Disorientation overtook him momentarily, and he leaned back to balance himself against the wall, which he only hoped was still stable.

"Come come, now," teased Midna, "is our hero getting weak knees again? I thought you didn't want to waste time."

Customarily ignoring his companion, Link took a moment to readjust himself, during which he surveyed the room more closely. Much of the room had already broken apart, several pieces of the floor already having been stolen from their respective positions. What was worse was that an entire line of stones had been displaced. Crossing it would be risky, and he had to wonder if the dragon was intelligent enough to have intended Link to come into this room or if it had been a mere coincidence that destroying the bridge below had brought him here.

He did not intend to underestimate his foe; therefore, he chose the former. Dragons were said to be crafty beasts anyway. If the twilight controlled it, however, perhaps its intelligence would be clouded by the curse. Yet these were thoughts for the future-for when he reached the beast and engaged it in battle.

At the moment he had a far less demanding task to tackle, but life-threatening nonetheless. He stepped away from the wall carefully testing each step before he settled down his full weight. Each time he felt the slightest jiggle, he moved onto to a different spot until he at last came to the edge of the floor. The large cleft dividing the room was above another breakpoint, the section of the floor below having been stripped away completely. A minor breeze played up through the openings, yet its current did not attack Link as fiercely as previous winds.

Link judged the distance. It would be risky, but the walls were in no better shape than the tiles beneath his feet. Where the stones had eroded, the metalwork beneath had been shredded, sticking out at angles that Link dared not to go near. The option before him was the only route available … not that it made it any easier to contemplate.

Setting his misgivings aside, he aligned his body so that he was angled toward the closest and most stable of the stones on the opposite side. He back-stepped as far as he dared until he was confident that he had enough space. He gulped down the last of his hesitation and bolted for the gap, his momentum increasing every second until he reached the rim. He pushed off from the ground and soared over the cavity, forbidding himself any glance downward. In fact, for a fraction of an instant while he was airborne, his eyes refused to open.

As soon as his feet made contact with the other side of the room, his elation at having made it across was wiped almost immediately. A rumble thundered through his feet, and just as he ran from the tile, it broke free from the rest of the floor and plummeted into the depths far below.

But Link did not stop running.

The stone that had fallen free had only been the initial result of his vault over the gap. A chain reaction ensued, single stones and clusters ripping free from the structure and meeting the same freefall that the others had suffered. Racing against time and gravity, Link sped toward the door on the far side, hoping to find some means of safety on the other side. Each stone in his path seemed to fall just as his feet left it, a fortune he prayed would last until he reached his destination.

He was meters from the door now. The stones began to fall more quickly, tearing away even before he reached them. He was now using them as steppingstones, jumping up to the next, for as they fell faster, they seemed to create a floating staircase. The sensation was less than pleasurable. Death seemed all too real.

His bones ached. The wind howled. The stones groaned.

Yet he did not stop. He struggled upward, straining his muscles with each leaping stride.

But the last stone had fallen too far by the time he had reached it, and it tumbled uncontrollably. In the last moment, Link jumped as far and high as he could.

But it was not enough.

There were a few seconds-within which the coldest fear entrapped Link-before he began his plummet back down. As he registered the reality of what was happening, he found himself unable to breathe for the briefest instant. The fear of impending doom seemed to paralyze him.

It had all happened within a split moment, the initial fall, the gripping fear, and now … the culminating fortitude of his resolve, his will to live. Just as he spotted Midna's face above, floating at the door, jaw agape, he stretched out his arm. One would think from a distance that he was reaching out to ask for aid or to say his final farewell, but neither was true of this hero.

Above, something shot past Midna's body and shattered the fright from her nerves. Just as thoughts and solutions again raged within her mind, she spotted Link coming nearer. The impossibility of this was soon cast from her mind as he came closer still, using an arm to shield against the small bits of stone and dust that fell in the wake of their larger siblings. Link stopped rising when he came eyelevel to his companion, the both of them hanging suspended in the open air. Midna had always been able to perform such a feat. It was more uncommon to see her actually traveling by the strength of her own legs. Link on the other hand grinned back into his partner's awestruck eyes.

"Weren't worried were you?" he asked, teasing her the way she customarily mocked him.

She shook loose of her state of shock and folded her arms, simultaneously sneering at the clawshot device that had saved his life, the claw connected to the dangling chain having gripped a part of the golden archway.

"First you blow up the Eldin Bridge-"

"That was an accident."

"-then you demolish the Temple of Time-"

"It was already falling apart."

"-and now this?" She indicated the missing floor. "Your heroic skills continue to amaze."

Though they were both trying to shield against their feelings-Link, his fright from nearly dying, and Midna, from actually caring-they exchanged smiles.

As Link began to reel himself upward, he cast another look toward Midna. "Why didn't you just teleport me across?" He had been wanting to ask such a question on many occasions, but now seemed like the best time to bring it up. There had been so many times that Midna could have eased his workload, helped him much more than she did.

"Excuse me?" came her insulted reply.

"You've done it before. The first time we met you teleported me to the top of the stairs in the castle sewer. Why haven't you ever done it again?" He had always been suspicious, had always tried to answer the question himself. In the end he had always come up short of an answer.

Her reply came in a rather irate tone. "If I helped you every single moment you were in trouble how would you ever learn to fend for yourself?" It was a most logical answer. "How refined would your skills be, do you think, if I leant a hand every single time a monster came pouncing at you or every time you needed to get over a tiny gap? How long would you last against Zant-or Ganondorf for that matter-if you needed to rely on me to do everything?"

Everything she said-it made Link rethink their entire relationship. Had that truly been her reasoning … even at the beginning … a time when she had seemed to hate him? To think that all this time she had merely acted in his favor. By not helping him all those times when he had needed her the most … that had been her way of assisting him, making him learn to break free of the chaos in which he had gotten himself tangled.

He had to admit that she was right. He had devoted his life to saving others, so what kind of person would he have become had he never learned to save himself?

In that moment his perspective of Midna changed dramatically. No longer did she seem like this unwilling, uninspiring companion with whom he had been forced to serve. She was-in her own right-a very noble being. He could not imagine his life without her, could not imagine the person he would have become had he never met her along his journey.

And it was the first moment that he thanked the gods for her.

Link was soon on the other side of the doorway, once more pelted by the swaying winds of the heavens. The path before him, however, did not exist. It was not as if the dragon had smashed this one to pieces as well, but the bridge that was surely supposed to be there had somehow vanished. Link looked around for a clue as to how this could happen, how the road could just dead end.

He was beginning to think that perhaps it had been constructed in this manner, and that the Oocca-being creatures of the sky-simply flew the distance across to reach the next chain of buildings, much like they obviously had to do to reach their homes. But just as he scanned the walls a second time, something drew his attention.

There, veiled by the dense overgrowth, was a lever hooked into the side of the wall. Link stepped over to it and brushed away the vines and grasses as best he could, pulling grit out of the gear's niches. Assuming that it would extend a bridge, he began to crank the lever, and sure enough, a roar bellowed underfoot. The entire place seemed to tremble as the mechanisms within the stones beneath him began churning. He watched the open space as the moments clicked by, and finally, a platform emerged from the rumbling, stretching outward farther and farther toward the other structure-a very large structure.

As the bridge extended, Link took notice that this one did not have sides that would protect him from the winds. It would be a straight shot across. _If only I still had that ball and chain…. _Link laughed to himself. It would have been the perfect device. Tie the chain round his waist and he would have been set for the adventure across, but he cast the amusing thought aside just as he heard a jolting thump.

The bridge had come to a halt.

He cast a sideways glance at Midna. She looked back at him with an answer to his unvoiced question already smeared over her face. No, she was not going to make it easier for him to cross. He had not thought she would offer the assistance of her magicks, but it had been worth one last try. He mentally checked through his entire arsenal for something that would aid him in negotiating the dangerous sky bridge. Nothing came to mind. It would be his wit and skill against a natural phenomenon.

He took a moment to ascertain which way the wind was blowing. It was coming at him from the right, and he also discovered in those moments of observation that the winds also came in bursts, perhaps only a few seconds apart. He did not know how long it would be until the currents changed, so he decided that it was time to start across.

He would have to run the distance-in bursts like the wind.

As Link waited for the right moment, Midna entrapped herself in his shadow once more so that she would be able to remain at his side. And off Link went, racing as fast as he could across the bridge while the wind had died. Yet, as if from some innate sense, Link dropped immediately into a crouch as the wind picked up again, grasping the edge of the platform to stay on its surface. His body blew with the wind, but his fingers clutched tightly to the edge. Once he knew it was safe to stand again, he bolted off.

Three sprinting bursts like this saw Link safely to the other side, and once there, he gazed back across the bridge. He wondered why the platform had been withdrawn in the first place. Had the Oocca truly thought removing a bridge would hinder the dragon? Surely, that had not been the reason. Yet, whatever the reason may have been, Link saw no point in deducing the truth. It did not matter. He had crossed it, and he was once more on his way toward the dragon's roost.

Midna followed him into the next room, and though she had made it quite clear that she would never unnecessarily help him, he thought it amusing how close she stuck by his side. It was not her own wellbeing she was concerned about anymore.

He could see that, due to the floor having been ripped through, the chamber inside was vast and multileveled. There were hardly any spaces to move about on the floor, and each level had suffered the same destruction. The entire bottommost floor had been torn away, and there were also several holes in the walls. This was not a result of erosion from the ageless winds. It was all as if the dragon had rammed through the structure several times … as if it had been after something….

And there he saw them. About three levels down was a caged off area set into the wall itself, and inside were a vast number of Oocca. Yet, something did not seem right about the whole thing. How could a dragon lock them up? He never wanted to underestimate his opponents, but it seemed so … impossible.

He scanned the chamber thoroughly before he made any movements. There were no immediate threats save for the gusting winds coming in through the splits in the walls. After concluding that there were no immediate dangers, Link crouched at the edge of his small section of the floor to ascertain a way down to the cage, and further, how to release its captives.

There were several spots where the walls had not been completely pulled apart, the metal layer between the inside and outside still intact. _Convenient._ Link cocked a brow, thinking. He could use the damages to his advantage. _It's about time I started using this dragon's wrath on the city against it._

Link cast a glance toward Midna as he stood. As he aimed his arm at a grating one level below them on the adjacent wall, he said, "Stick close."

Midna grappled onto his shoulders just as he hit the trigger on the clawshot. As soon as the claw snapped down on a beam of the grating, Link immediately hit another switch, and they were reeled in in less than a second. He would have to continually hit the buttons quickly in order to avoid swinging down by the chain to hit the side of the walls. An excellent arena in which to test his reflexes, for he was sure to be needing his dual clawshots throughout this mess of a grand city.

Pivoting his torso to face the room once more, he spotted another area he could reach via clawshot. He aimed the device strapped to his other gauntlet, and they once more shot through the room with another jolting stop. Link reassessed their position and found that there were two avenues from which to choose. One sequence of jumps would lead to a dead end-with no flooring and nowhere else to cross to-whereas, their second route would lead them straight through several gusting winds. If the chains failed to support the pull on their bodies, they would be blown into the white wasteland.

It did not appear as though they had much choice, however, and Link felt Midna wrap her skinny arms around his shoulders and torso even tighter, braiding her fingers together across his chest, affirming that she was not going anywhere.

Link, Midna, and claw then bounded through the chamber, ping-ponging back and forth from one place to the next as quickly as his fingers and the device would allow. Out of the few currents through which they had passed, none had as yet swept against them harshly enough to dislodge them from their path.

In no time Link had made his way to the outside of the caged area. A few of the Oocca inside flapped toward him. "It is a land dweller," one whispered to another near the back of their group. Link's pointed ears enabled him to hear the majority of their comments. He found it a little ironic how Rusl's story of Hylians being able to hear the "gods" better was true in part, at least if such tales included the mythological races of the sky's heavenly beings.

"Who are you?" one of the Oocca asked at the front of the flock. His eyes also darted to Midna, puzzled by her appearance.

"I'm here to get you out," returned Link, ignoring the stares given to his partner.

"How will you do this?"

Link pulled out a black orb from a pouch on his belt. The sky beings eyed it curiously. Midna, however, knew exactly what it was and how clumsy Link seemed to be with such explosives. "You're really going to use that?" she asked, incredulous.

"Do you really think one more hole is going to matter?" he retorted, knowing that had Shad been with him, he would have screamed hysterical objections. Link held the bomb up to her, and with a sigh she flicked her finger, igniting the fuse. "Get back," he ordered the Oocca, as he placed the bomb in a gap in the wall. Just as they scuttled away, Link shot out his clawshot, reeling himself up and away after disengaging the first.

The ensuing blast knocked several slabs free and blew others into dust.

Link lowered himself back down in front of the cage to see the flabbergasted expressions on the Oocca's alien faces. They shook free of the surprise of their sudden liberty and took to wing. Hovering next to Link, the being that was their leader-or had become so during their captivity-asked him: "Are you here to banish the monster?"

The green clad youth nodded.

"You are not much farther from where it has made its perch. You must climb up through this tower from the next room. Once you reach the top, stairs will lead you to the next building. At its highest peak is where Argorok roosts."

"Take your people to a safe place until I can rid you of this dragon," advised Link.

"Goddesses bless you, adventurer." And with that the Oocca flock fluttered away through one of the many holes dotting the side of the tower.

The dangling pair exchanged a glance. Time to move on.

Heeding the directions of the Oocca leader, Link lowered them far enough to spy the door which led into the next room. The tricky part would be to reach the door seeing as though there were no points to which he could grapple near enough, and there was barely any floor in front of it to land. He solved the problem quickly, though. Sizing the distance between him and the door, Link started to swing his body, building momentum.

As he rocked through the air, each swing took him a little higher and a little closer to the door. But even with the chain fully extended, the door was still feet away at his farthest swing. He would have to time this exactly.

Once the arc of his swing was lined up perfectly, Link released the hook and gravity took its place. He sailed into the door as the chain retracted. A thudding ache coursed through his body, but he had snatched handholds on the doorframe. He lowered himself to the floor cautiously, weary that any added weight might pull what was left right out from under him.

His footing carefully aligned, he opened the door. He inched his way in as he noticed that, though the floor remained intact for the most part, sections of it were in decay and threatened to fall through at any moment. Lest his steps trigger a stone to break away, Link paused at the threshold.

Before he could search the room, however, a blast of wind stirred his cap. His head jerked around at the feeling, but nothing greeted his vision save for stone and interior metalwork. Another gust returned him to his former stance. There before him in the tight yet high-ceilinged chamber flapped a large blue dragon-like creature. It was not nearly comparable in size as the mighty Argorok Link had seen earlier, but with is armored arms wielding both shield and sword, it would make quite the opponent.

Link waited, taking a moment to study his opponent before grabbing for his weapons and launching an assault. Without a moment's pause, the dragon brought up its guard and its wings flapped faster. Next moment, it swooped down at him with lightning speed and precision, sword plunging directly for Link's heart.

The Hylian rolled free of the blow and jumped back to his feet in an instant. As it took up position in the corner opposite him, Link took a closer look at its shield. It consisted of red and gold metalwork, and its texture gave him an idea. He held off, however, taking the time to study his prey's movements accurately.

It used the same maneuver repeatedly, shielding itself momentarily as its wings gained speed and then darting through the air like an arrow.

As it steadied itself in another corner, Link prepared for the counterattack. In the quick moment between its rising shield and it swooping dive, he flung out his right arm and his clawshot snapped from its cradle at his fingertips. The hook landed against the dragon's shield, but because its mass weighed far more than Link, it was the young green warrior who spiraled through the air to hang suspended right before the beast's nose.

The dragon flapped it wings harder in an attempt to compensate for the added burden, and Link put the moment of its distraction to good use, kicking up at its right hand and breaking its sword free from its clawed grip. In the same instant, Link caught the blade with his sword arm and cast its glimmering surface through its neck. Then, severed head and all, it and Link plummeted with a hard crash to the stone floor.

Feeling the vibrations in the floor, Link quickly dislodged his clawshot from the dragon's shield and rolled to the side. Gravity sucked stone and dragon from the room.

Link looked after the falling corpse and cocked his head in surprise. He had not expected to make such quick work of such a well-armored foe. Perhaps it was himself that he had underestimated all this time.

Yet, he knocked the thought aside and peeled himself from the floor.

Midna had remained in his shadow through the confrontation, but Link was sure she could feel the soreness that throbbed through his back. Ignoring the lingering pain of his shoulder wound, Link stepped lightly about the chamber, looking at every corner for some clue as to how to proceed onward. The metal framework of the ceiling was too far out of reach even with the aid of his clawshots. He turned his attention to the gaping holes set into two adjacent walls. One was too high for him to even fathom climbing; the other, however, rose just above his head.

Carefully, he treaded the stone floor watching every footfall until he came to the wall. A few stones had threatened to shift at his touch, but none jostled free from the collective. Once at the boundary, Link looked for a safe route up to the opening. Luckily, pieces of stone had been chipped away, and the metal grating that should have barred the hole was now barely recognizable, a chewed up mess jutting out at every odd angle. All of these combined would provide the perfect ladder.

He clambered up, taking care not to cut his fingers on the rusted steel. At the top a gust of wind slammed into him, and he immediately threw his torso over the opening's bottom edge to grab the outside for support. After a few seconds, the wind died down, but Link did not release his tight grip. He should have guessed with the other cavernous hole in the neighboring wall that a cross breeze would impede his journey. Fortunately for him, the breezes came in bursts, and as long as he timed his movements with precision he would not spiral backward into the chamber-or, worse yet, down into the depths of the clouds.

Link saw his prize now looming closer, the largest building he had yet seen with four gigantic spires rising up to the edge of the heavens. And circling those towers was the great dragon, Argorok.

Link held fast to the opening as he kept his mind occupied with clocking the gusts as well as searching the outside for anything that would speed his crossing toward those spires. Just above him loomed a great bridge equal to the distance of the Eldin Bridge, except … there was no way he would be able to reach the top of that bridge.

He would need to cross via its underbelly.

Though he knew that he would be able to utilize his clawshot devices to tow him across its massive length, there was still the question on how to reach the patchwork of exposed grates. The chain of his hook would never reach that far, for it was twice the distance the ceiling had been of the chamber from which he now plotted his escape.

Then he noticed the lattice of vines to his left, twisted and dangling greenery that laced the entire side of the building. Mindful of the wind's current, Link moved over to the left edge and, after another wind died down, hoisted himself up and onto the face of the vines. He clung as closely to the wall as he could, especially when each successive gust blew against him, threatening to cleave him from the building and toss him into a whirlwind of cloud. He ascended the greenery as fast as the ominous winds would allow, making headway only in between the bursts. He did not dare climb while the wind pelted against him; he needed the security of both hands grasping the vines to assure that he would not fall from its onslaught.

Once the significant distance between he and the bridge had dwindled, Link shot out his arm between winds and triggered the firing mechanism in his clawshot. At once he was hooked to the closest patch of metal. He gave the chain a slight tug, reassuring himself that the claw would not jostle free, and once he was clear of any winds, he pulled himself in and began the rigorous route across the underbelly, with one arm dangling and one stretching out for the next target at each juncture.

He reeled himself in only about halfway each time, not that he wanted to leave room for the wind to swing him, but he needed the angle to be able to hook onto the next patch of exposed framework. Even with how precise he needed his aim, he went through this routine at a constant speed. Firing off, a quick tug for security, reeling in, and setting up for the next shot.

When coming to one of his last stops, however, he saw a grotesque plant formation dangling down from the stones and framework. He was forced to stop, and because of the threatening winds and his need to evaluate the new obstacle, he reeled himself in all the way, sticking his feet up through the gaps of the metal for extra support against the elemental threats.

Link squinted, trying to make out the bends in the grass, and just as his face inched closer to the greenery, which was a good seven meters away, a bulging oval shape dropped down to hang before him. A slimy blue vine slithered from between ashen lips of a red head. A baba serpent. How the carnivorous plant could survive the thin atmosphere of this place, Link did not know, and it was not particularly relevant. He needed to sever it from his path and Link worked quickly to devise a means of doing just that.

As if sniffing the promise of a meal, the baba lurched its head, stretching its long neck as its jaws flexed and its tongue whipped about. This offered Link the perfect opportunity and he jumped into action. In one moment he took aim, and, in the next, the hook of his opposite clawshot grappled the baba's long vine of a neck. Link jerked the device downward and in one satisfying snap, the serpent fell to the winds' mercy.

Link pulled his hook back to him and then continued on his journey across the underbelly.

Once at the end of the bridge, there was no way to go but straight through the building, through the broken wall that he had spied earlier from the mouth of the armed dragon warrior's den.

He shot inside the walls and was at once confronted with a maze. No floors had been left intact and some of the inner borders were even cracked beyond repair. Due to the lack of floors or ceilings, Link knew that he would have to navigate the rooms-or passages as they now seemed to be-by clawshot still.

Into a long hallway he sprang, and within minutes of bouncing back and forth between walls, he realized that somewhere he had taken a wrong turn. There were no more walls or pillars to which he could cling. He made his way backwards along his route, until he happened upon a path he had not before noticed due to his previous angle. Flying into this room, he was faced with yet another dead end … or so it had seemed.

The answer to his journey hovered above, where a small break in the massive ceiling that hung above all the broken rooms beckoned. Link had noticed this area before in previous halls and chambers and presumed it to be an inaccessible upper level. He aimed for the hard to reach metalwork covering the wall along the break, and reeled himself in slowly so as not to hit the edges of the ceiling.

Once he entered the room above, Link threw a foot out to the side to catch onto the stone floor, which had remained intact for the most part. He disengaged his clawshot after he had settled back on solid-or so he hoped-ground. He had arrived at the last leg in his skyward journey; all he need do was find a way up and out of this chamber and he would reach the dragon's roost.

In taking a look about the room, he discovered that his clawshots would surely see their full use by the time he descended into Hyrule again. He found himself imagining the look of shock on Shad's face when he suddenly reappeared in the cavern. Now, however, was not the time to humor himself, and he set about searching the vast chamber.

The tall room had suffered severe structural damage. Link reimagined what he best thought the original construction had been: eight long pillars interconnecting at least four different levels of interior wraparound balconies. Now, there was barely any trace of those balconies, and he blamed their dislocation for creating the holes in the outer circle of the bottommost floor upon which he currently stood. Those eight domineering columns now stretched different lengths of the walls, the bases of all but one having broken away into the vast nothingness below. Most of them retained their elegant capitals, but the shafts of each were now different designs and none of them symmetrical in their fragmented states.

Yet, it was to these fractured columns connected to the walls and the remnants of the balconies that he would have to traverse if he was to reach the top of the chamber, which owned one large gap through which he would find his freedom and his prey. His target in sight, he calculated the safest route up, and began the long journey through the echoing cavern.

Clawshots bouncing him about the chamber, Link had managed to reach a rather precarious ledge where there were the smallest remains of a balcony's stonework. The walkways invented by the damage were only one foot wide and they intersected several times across the path. Covering the gaping holes between the stone catwalks were spots of the metal framework, but it was so corroded and sharp that even a fall into their webs would prove as harmful, if not fatal, to Link as a tumble over the outer edge ending in a splat on the stone floor below.

Balancing himself carefully, Link stepped, and often tippy-toed, along the twisting paths, putting one foot slowly in front of the other. His progress was slow and he was already sweating enough without the startling, angry bellow of the beast above him. He took a moment to readjust his weight after that and continued, putting aside every thought but the need to cross these dangerous balconies-turned-bridges.

Once, he stepped onto solid stone again, Link breathed easier. But with having been looking at his feet for the majority of his crossing, he had not noticed the gathering of vines at the very spot where he now stood. When he noticed the baba head lashing out at him it was almost too late to react. In the split second that he had to relocate, he could only think of one direction to go…. Backwards.

Link leapt up onto the miniscule catwalk, and fighting for balance and trying to fend off an opponent with legs crisscrossed, he nearly collapsed over the edge. He held his ground, though, and without the proper footing to reach a hand back for his sword-because his splayed arms helped to steady his body-he fired off his claw and yanked the baba free of its home. That action alone unbalanced him, and both the serpent and he toppled over. Link, however, had fingers, and he was able to latch them onto the edge before his descent carried him all the way down. Unwilling to test the stability of the stones if he were to apply more pressure to them in pulling himself up, he instead opted to shimmy across until he reached the empty nest of the baba plant.

Once he again settled onto the unbroken stones, he took a moment to plot his next move. His only option left was to traverse the many torn up pillars, which thankfully owned several spots where their frames hung exposed. The tear in the wall lay opposite his current position. He planned out each trajectory that would lead him to the other side carefully, and once his course was locked in, he shot up to the first pillar.

It was only then that he realized he had made a grave mistake. His support shook, and with any moment, it would break away from the whole and take him down into the depths with it. He could not revert back to his original platform either, for it was now too far below him to manage a safe jump. He had to move onward, and fast, and shoot for each of his successive targets in mere seconds. Link managed to line himself up with impressive accuracy for each jump, but when he reached his fourth mark and shot for the next, his clawshot could no longer reach, for his sudden weight pulling at the column had yanked it free of its crumbling parent, and stone and all, Link tumbled through the air.

He pushed panic aside and put his faith in his instincts. Attached to the ceiling, he spotted a central pillar, which dead ended at least ten meters straight down due to the damage wrought against it. He reached out an arm, timed it carefully and quickly, and prayed.

The next thing he knew he was dangling from the pillar's broken edges and the stone below him crashed into the floor, crumbling like dry cheese.

"Like I said," came the voice of Midna. "The luckiest clumsy hero." Her tooth punctuated her last breath: "Ever."

When Link looked up, Midna hovered at eye-level, though it seemed that more magic bubbled around her than usual. Perhaps the gravity of the city had put more strain on her ability to stay afloat. She was smiling, though, teasing Link warmly.

Link cleared his throat as he reeled himself in to latch his other hand onto the pillar as well. "Yeah, well. What's a journey without some adventure?" he tossed back, and the companions shared a smile as Link searched the wall near the gap; it was still too far away and there did not seem to be any more safe-or somewhat safe-areas to hook onto.

In order to survey the landscape further, Link worked to climb up the pillar to stand, with one set of fingers clinging to a crack, on a short ledge a few meters up. Still, tossing his search about the room and along the walls yielded no answer to Link's call for aid. His mind did not stop working, however, and perhaps that was the very reason that Midna then intervened.

"I can give you a boost," she said plainly, looking at the opening in the distance instead of him, and when she noticed his expression in her peripheral, she made no retort against his observation, one that knew from earlier predicaments in the sky city that Midna did not just hand out magical help. From this he knew that she, too, had realized that there was no way forward by means of his devices and there could be no turning back into the crumbling chamber. The place was a deathtrap.

Link nodded, and she returned the gesture. "When you're ready, just jump … and I'll do the rest." Leaving no room for debate or further instruction, Midna at once shot through the air toward the opening. As soon as she landed within its maw, she turned back to wave Link on.

He did not fear the leap of faith. No matter how he had felt toward her in the past it was just that … the past. He trusted his companion, trusted her with his life.

It would have to be a simple jump, for he had no room to perform a running, flying leap. He set his stance, and without a moment of indecision, he dove toward the opening.

Almost instantly, the magic of Midna's twilit fingers swooped in and caught him. The bubbles felt like the wafting clouds of dry ice, cool and misty. Weightlessly, Link hovered, and he wondered for that instant if this was the constant sensation Midna felt whenever she floated alongside him. The moment faded, though, and the imp yanked on the magic with a heavy grunt, and in another snap of a second, the magic plunked Link down. There beside Midna's hovering frame, Link stood in the mouth of the chamber.

He nodded his thanks, and Midna just casually ran a thumb over her fingertips as if her feat had been godlike and worthy of the worship he failed to bestow, but Link knew that she was joking and he chuckled.

They broke free of their moment of levity and Midna followed Link's gaze upward. "So, this dragon roosts just above, huh?" came the imp's casual remark. "Well, then we best get going. Wouldn't want any of these Oocca to die while we lick our wounds." Her voice had been thick with sarcasm, and Link knew that, as always, it was her way of hiding her true fears for the sky race.

Retreating into his shadow, she left Link to tackle the climb up the curtain of interwoven vines that plagued the outside of the building. The winds were becoming stronger and more constant the higher Link went. He hugged the wall as closely as he could, and when he heard the loud roar of the beast, he only partly rotated his neck to see the dragon coming at him from behind.

A spray of blue and orange billowed from its growling mouth and the vines beneath Link immediately caught fire, smoke rising to choke the young hero. The dragon tilted up and soared over the building to circle about the roost. The howling winds did nothing to quench the flames now dancing below Link, strengthening its life instead. Link sped his course, yanking himself up one vine after the other and trying desperately to outrace the rising tide of embers.

As soon as Link came to the edge of the roost, he dragged himself up and over onto the flat surface. However, his troubles had just begun. Instead of escaping the clutches of the fire, he had only sealed his fate by stumbling straight into its nest; tall grasses littered the large rectangular space, and the fire behind him simply spread and jumped to their wavering stalks.

Link pulled himself to his feet, watching in horror as the blazes surrounded him. He ran straight ahead, away from the thickest flares, but the fires simply followed after him, and just as he reached the center, waves of fire already encompassed all edges of the platform. He was left with no escape … until the dragon swooped overhead to spit a final ray of orange upon him.

The Hylian rolled out of the attack and looked up to see its black armor ending in a golden ball at the tip of its tail. This piece of armor seemed a different design than the rest of its shell, golden claw-like wires intersecting to create the orb. Upon instinct, Link aimed his hook and triggered its release. In the next instant, he sailed along behind the dragon. The beast staggered at the added weight, but flapped its mighty wings harder and remained afloat, tossing its body in an attempt to dislocate its unwelcome passenger.

Link managed to reel himself in and latch his other hand onto the scales of its dark armor. There, dangling from the side of its tail as it flailed madly, Link could see its underbelly, and what he saw made his struggle worthwhile. Attached as a breastplate among its armor rested the Mirror Shard, and, by the size of it, this piece would certainly be their last to collect.

His resolve renewed, Link released his left hand from the armor, though sustaining his hold on its tail. He reached to his belt to grab a dagger; jostling about at this height-clouds now below them-he would not risk losing the Master Sword to the skies. With his blade he hacked at the lacings he could find exposed, and the dragon's armor began to fall free. If he could remove enough of its protective casing, he would be able to kill the beast and claim his prize.

The dragon, however, put up quite the fight, and in another few flicks of its hindquarters, Link's clawshot wriggled loose and he plummeted through the skies. Luckily for the Hylian, the beast had not gone far from its nest, and Link was close enough to reel himself onto the side of one of the metal spires at the last second.

The fingers of the fire licked at him from below, purred to coax him down, but Link remained where he was near the base of the spire, taking the moment to really breathe in the situation in which he now found himself. The fire below made the ground untouchable, the dragon above made the skies a blanket of death, and now that the air darkened and lightning boomed, his last supports-the spires-promised electrocution at any moment. He had no safe haven.

He had no choice in the matter, though. The dragon had retreated to higher skies, which only the peaks of the spires could reach. The decision had been made for him, and though the onslaught of rain now turned the fires below to ash, the dragon's evil breath continually rekindled their waves. Each blast of fire had been aimed at Link, however, and the embers only caught the ground ablaze because the small Hylian was in constant motion, ping-ponging back and forth between the spires to both dodge these deadly assaults and to gain altitude.

Something that Link had not expected, however, was that the dragon had become disoriented. The flashes of lightning, the downpour which reflected each flicker, and the endless movement of its prey confused it, and it lost sight of the little man from Faron.

Its stupefaction was Link's only advantage, and as it was momentary, he put an attack into motion. While the beast bellowed orange gases, Link snuck around to its backside via the spires. He aimed for its tail once more and zoomed across the open fields of air and faux sky to catch onto its armor. Instantly, the dragon rocked, fury sweeping its wings into exaggerated gestures, spiraling the pair into a sort of dance as one struggled to toss its partner away while the other tried everything to remain in the whirlwind of their music.

Link had already unsheathed his dagger again, and as soon as he had some idea of what body part was what as he sailed through the dark and wet sky, he began cutting away more and more armor. He could barely tell which way was up now, for the dragon continued its struggle, writhing and twisting. As soon as Link had managed to clear away a large patch of its protection, he rammed the point of his blade into what he thought were the scales of the side of its tail. The dragon shrieked at the wound and its tail flapped insanely, twisting Link up above its mass. Taking this opportunity, Link released his hook and removed his dagger at the same moment and sailed straight onto the back of the beast.

The dragon tried to shake Link loose at this juncture, knowing that the frail, fleshy animal did not yet have a good hold of it yet. Just as it jerked its body, however, Link smashed his dagger straight through the folds of its armor and clung with all his might to another. A screech just as earsplitting as its last thundered into Link's ears, but he did not let go. Its scales and armor were course and sharp and they cut into his fingers, but he would not release his grip. To do so would be to forfeit his life … and forfeit the fate of Hyrule.

Link set to work, trying to move around the dragon's armor as it reeled and zigzagged through the sky. He needed to reach the mirror at its chest, but he still wasn't quite sure how he would remove the shard and kill the dragon, all ending in a safe landing for the piece and him. By the time he reached its underbelly, however, Link had no time to work out the happy ending. He had to work one moment at a time and just pray that while he wrestled the mirror free the dragon would keep to its course, which would send them over the roost. He had only minutes to cut the piece away from the rest of the armor before his safe window closed.

That was when he made his fatal error.

Due to the jostling of the dragon and Link's precarious position-legs wrapped around its torso, one hand clutching the armor, and the other stabbing at the lacings-his dagger accidentally jammed straight through the leather and steel to meet the soft underbelly … and the dragon's lung inside.

Its breath stolen, the dragon had not the strength left to flap its wings, and even if it did, every pull of its muscles made the pain in its chest radiate. It bellowed a last gust of fire and screeched a last wail and rained down through the stormy sky like the other droplets surrounding it.

The momentum of the dragon allowed it to sail sideways through the air, however, and its speed carried it toward its roost.

But its arc waned after its wings stopped beating, and it failed to reach its target.

"Oh, not good," said Link, and though his situation seemed completely inescapable, he kept the panic from his voice.

The body of the dragon had then become like a dead cannon ball, ramming headlong through the central chamber where Link had traversed balconies and pillars. He held on tight to the dragon, and spread his torso over the Mirror Shard so that it was not damaged in the crash. He could have taken his chance to let go then, to fall to the far ground of that decaying chamber and hope to survive the fall … but the shard had not yet been freed and he desperately needed it.

Once they cleared the building, Link looked back to realize that Midna grasped its tail with her tiny fingers. He thought, perhaps, that she had emerged to use her magic to stop the dragon's descent.

He saw a flicker of her magic, but in the next moment, her grip failed.

"Midna!" screamed Link, but she was falling, too.

There was only so much power her magicks had over something so natural as the laws that governed gravity.


	40. Chapter 37

**Chapter 37: The Curse**

Wind tore at Link's face. Tension gripped his muscles. Courage reigned in his soul.

Many thoughts blasted through Link's mind in his greatest hour of peril, but he would not surrender himself to hysteria. True it was that he plummeted through the sky, passing through the thick layers of clouds that separated this world of the sky from his home down below, but his first thoughts were if he would be able to wrench the Mirror Shard free in time … and if Midna was all right.

Just then, the gusts wrestled Link's cap free from his head, and it went sailing away. He cast his gaze back to follow its trajectory, but it would be impossible to regain it…. That was when a little imp's face plowed straight into it, and she flailed her arms, screaming for her sight to return. When she removed the hat she nearly tossed it away, but once she realized that it was Link's she looked down and their eyes met.

Link descended through the currents with the dragon as his buffer against the true force of the winds, his hair now flapping wildly about his face and curling around his ears. "Midna!" he called back, and the little imp flicked his hat into the dimension of her magic and flattened her arms to her sides, speeding her way through the few meters between them. Once she was able to grasp a section of the armor that Link had not torn away, he screamed so that she could hear, but she could only make out a few words. "Get … my sha…!"

Understanding that he wanted her to retreat into shadow, she shook her head. "I'll try to slow its fall!" she shot back. She was not sure how much Link had been able to make out, but he did not protest even though he most certainly looked noncompliant. Instead of forcing her into his shade, he scooped her up with one arm and tucked her between his body and that of the dragon. She knew that this was because knew that her tiny fingers would not be able to hold on for too long.

As Link then worked to free the mirror, their speed finally breaking them through the barrier of clouds, Midna dug deep within herself, concentrating hard. The strain alone made her body quake, and she could feel the thundering beat of Link's heart against his chest.

Once she had conjured a fluttering blanket of twilight magic beneath the beast, its descent slowed, but they were still dropping way too fast. The sudden decrease in speed made the tail behind them flail like a loose tentacle of hair, and it whipped around to smack Link in the cheek. The blow caught him unawares and he nearly toppled off the beast. Though, he had not careened over the side, his dagger jostled free of his palm and it was sent flying. Slightly disoriented from the strike to his face, Link held fast to the armor and scales of his dragon lifeboat.

Sweat poured from Midna's brow as she groaned to stay in control of her magicks, and Link tossed a glance over the dragon to realize their destination would be Lake Hylia. If they were lucky, they would land in the water, but even at this velocity they would certainly die at the touch of the crystal blue surface. Its smooth and gentle sheen would hit like stone and glass.

Their descent continued. Rapidly. Midna's strength was failing. The dragon and they were just too heavy and too fast.

"Midna!" shouted Link, as he noticed that they were very close now to the lake. He could make out dips and curves of the landscape now beneath the moon's glow.

As they fell closer and closer still, Midna released her magical hold on the dragon and huffed a deep breath. She looked up at Link. It was not fear that Link saw within her red eye. It was hope, and rightly so, for it was then-just a few miles above impact-that she wrenched Link from his seat and held him close. In that moment she created a magical shield around them, closing her eyes and using every ounce of what strength was left within her. Link wrapped his arms tight around her, pulling his legs in, hoping beyond all hope that Midna had the strength-the courage-to conquer the forces of nature.

They heard a booming splash and felt the water pelt against them from the crash of the dragon.

Barely a second afterward, they felt a jarring jolt and then water pressed in on them from all sides, crushing them. The force of the water had pushed them apart, and when they again opened their eyes, they realized that they had indeed survived the fall, and luckily the tension had forced them to hold their breath. But neither could find the other.

Midna swam through the water, but the dark of night above made it impossible to see which way was up, let alone allow her to search for Link. She was forced to abandon her helpless search when her lungs begged for breath. She looked for some sign, any sign, to gather her bearings, and what looked like the moon guided her way up through the water.

Thankfully, she had not been led astray and within many long moments she broke through the surface and gulped a heavy and loud breath of fresh air. Once her lungs had been restored and her mind refocused after its lack of oxygen, she looked about frantically. "Link!"

No voice echoed hers, for deep, deep below the surface of the water, Link had landed softly against the deepest, darkest reach where the entrance to the lakebed temple rested. He had only momentarily lost consciousness, and in the seconds it took him to shake his head loose from its daze, he realized the danger in which he still found himself.

It was cold. It was dark. He could barely see, he could not breathe, and his foot was caught in something.

Link could not wiggle his foot free, so he grasped his ankle and discovered that the slimy vegetation that grew within the depths of lakes and oceans had coiled around his foot. Unable to wrestle free even with the aid of his slipping fingers, he called forth his only remaining dagger and sliced through his bindings.

He knew which way was up because he had been caught by the seafloor's web; that, and he strained his eyes in the frigid dark and called for the vision of his lupine entity. However, even with these devices and his hungering and absolute need for air, he did not yet ascend.

Something near him glimmered and caught his attention.

He realized that he had come to a halt close to the dragon, and he quickly swam over to it. He slithered between its wings and found-beyond all possibility-that the Mirror Shard still lingered in one piece. Amazed at the power of this seemingly frail glass, Link pried it away with his dagger and held it close as he pushed off from the dragon and made his way up to the surface. Already, though, his lungs suffered and buckled, forcing bubbles of toxic carbon dioxide from his lips.

Midna, who had now retreated to a shore nearby, searched the surface of the water unblinkingly. Just as the deepest trepidation crossed her face, a moment she would never reveal to Link-he popped up and gasped deeply near the middle of the lake. She called over to him, and he turned to see her waving arms. Relieved that she, too, had survived the fall, Link made his way slowly over to her, his muscles and his lungs trying desperately to keep up.

He swam only with the strokes of one arm, which confused his imp companion … until he reached the shore and plopped the Mirror Shard down on the grass beside her. Her breath caught as Link pulled himself up and curled onto his side next to it.

"Link, you did it!" Midna picked up the shard and examined it. "It looks like we now have all of the pieces." When he did not answer, she looked down at him.

Link clutched his chest and head as his breath came unevenly.

Midna understood his pain, for she still felt dazed and slightly sick from their descent and ascent as well. "We really shouldn't make a habit of flying and diving in the same day, huh?" she joked as she stored the shard with her magic. "I'm sure the spirit can help. Plus, you have quite a nasty cut on your face."

Link managed to look up, realizing that he had come to shore just outside the spirit spring entrance. He only had to make it inside and the spirit would be able to banish this horrible, tingling feeling running the length of his bones.

===============

Inside the spring Link and Midna laid enwrapped by the warm light of Lanayru as it watched over the pair. Midna sat at the edge and Link had collapsed on the grassy floor. The light no longer bothered Midna, for the life-force of the princess lived within her.

"The words of the sages…. Do you remember them, Link?"

He cast his glance toward her and realized that all three of the fragments they had recovered now hovered before her as she looked at her broken reflection. It seemed that a different face peered back out at her, for an unnatural blue sheen colored her image … but Link merely blamed it on the shimmer of the spring water.

"Only the true ruler of the Twili can destroy the Mirror of Twilight," she recalled, her voice thick with the memory of some dark past. "Zant could only break the mirror into shards. He couldn't utterly shatter it. That's proof of his false kingship." Link could not see Midna's face clearly, for she sat with her back to him mostly, but he could see in her reflection how her lip curled in anger and disgust. "A fake is a fake. No matter how much you dress it up."

Now more than ever Link could feel her fury and sadness, and now he was so very sure that her hatred for Zant went far beyond his banishing her to the light realm, beyond his treasonous claim to the twilit throne. Her rage seemed to come from somewhere deep within, and Link thought perhaps that the royals who had reigned over the Twilight Realm had held a deep place within Midna's heart. Perhaps Midna had been in the midst of saving them when Zant had cast her aside. Possibly, it was this that had driven Midna all this time … the need to fulfill some oath of protecting her sovereign and people.

But she said nothing more in the silence that ensued, and the companions bathed wordlessly under the warm and caring embrace of light.

Soon … they would embark into the Twilight.

===============

They had slept the night in Lanayru's spring, and the next morning Link had gone for a quick bath in the lake, during which he took the opportunity to tend to the bandages still tight around his shoulder. The light of the spirit had washed away all injury, and he discarded the wraps, thankful that he could move his right arm without any further discomfort. With his stomach lurching for food, he fished in the waters by hand, keeping to the shallows along the shore. After his meal he quickly refilled the waterskin that had been tied at his waist. He knew from experience that the desert crossing would take at least two days. When Midna returned his hat, she had suggested the use of a horse this time, but Link refused to leave his horse in the desert wastes alone while he and his imp friend trekked off into the other realm.

The journey back through the northwestern pass was a silent one, and even as they began their journey through the sand sea, neither of them spoke. There was nothing left to be said. They were finally going through the Mirror of Twilight; they could not foresee any more delays.

Link rationed his water carefully, for he would also need water for the journey back to Hyrule once they dealt with the usurper and the King of Evil. His thoughts rested on the battles to come as he trekked across the harsh dunes, realizing that his quest would soon be at its end … whether ending in victory or death, Link did not know. No matter the cost, he would fight to whatever end would greet his path.

===============

By the time night fell on their second day in the desert, Link and Midna had once again returned to the Arbiter's Grounds and were pleased to discover that there were no sentries to greet them this time around.

They made their way once more through the prison, taking the easier, less treacherous path that they had found when they had exited the last time. Within hours, they had again come to the circular room whose walls rotated to open the final path upward. Climbing up the stairs, the companions braced themselves for what was about to unfold.

Standing before the dais once more, Link looked to his partner. Her eye seemed hollow, the anger from before having simmered to a calm rage that pulsed through her veins, almost as if she were numb to the feeling now. Slowly, Link stepped up the stairs behind Midna's hovering body. From out of her magic's incomprehensible dimension, she called forth the three Mirror Shards, and for a moment she let them hang there. Then, in an instant, her magic bubbled around them and they carefully floated into their proper places; a bright, pure white light shone out from the cracks and fused them together.

At last, the Mirror of Twilight was again whole.

Midna coasted to the Mirror's side, and with one outstretched arm, Link realized that it was she who made the chains around the large black stone in the sand before them shine with the same bright light. Their full length-their ends connected to the reigning spires-hummed and glimmered with the strange light, and before Link's very eyes they turned to white sand.

Then the imp turned her power to the Mirror itself, and with one touch its surface glistened with new life, the symbols etched into its face shining brightly and casting a dull reflection on the rock before it. Midna tilted the Mirror slightly, and as she did so the carvings seemed to jump off its surface; Link realized, however, that these were just mirror images of the symbols, a Trifroce symbol delicately carved at the center and brilliantly lighting up the night air as it passed through the center of the other markings and lines encircling it to reflect a much larger version of the Mirror's face on the stone a distance away.

Then strange shapes appeared and decorated the full length of the black slab, much like the luminescent green stripes which colored the imp. Stranger still was the sudden shifting of the mirror images as the lines and circles deepened and turned counterclockwise then clockwise, switching off in their rotating pattern with each successive circle until … they seemed to create a three-dimensional tunnel through the rock.

Link was still at a loss for words when Midna spoke. "Some call our realm a world of shadows, but that makes it sound unpleasant…. The twilight there holds a serene beauty," she said, as Link turned to her. He saw only what looked like sadness, misery, in her countenance. "You have seen it yourself as the sun sets on this world."

Midna's words stirred something within him, a memory from long ago when he and Rusl had sat at the spring admiring the setting sun.

"Bathed in that light, all people were pure and gentle…." continued Midna, and Link turned his gaze back to the light that now emanated from the rock. She was staring blankly into its depths, as if trying to remember a time when evil had been contained only within storybooks and old legends. He could hear and feel the numb anger in her throat when she next spoke. "But things changed once that foul power pervaded the world."

Link looked back to her, saw how her gaze had still not shifted, and he noticed how her eye very slightly narrowed … the only visible trace of her outrage.

"It was all our doing…." the hollow yet humming voices of the sages called.

Midna's eye popped in surprise, and she and Link turned to give them audience.

There the collective stood, behind the stone steps of the dais, in a line of orange, violet, red, green, and gold. "We overestimated our abilities as sages and attempted to put an end to Ganondorf's evil magic." A strange vibration then entered into the godlike speech. "We hope you can find it in yourself to forgive our carelessness…." They bowed.

"O Twilight Princess…."

Link's breath caught, and he looked toward Midna, taking an involuntary step backward. His imp companion now slouched, hands held sheepishly behind her back and her face downcast. How could it be that his partner had been the very ruler of the Twilight Realm? There was a mistake here, surely….

_Twilight Princess?_ It was the same title that Midna had bestowed upon Princess Zelda. Only now did Link realize that the imp had been mocking her, mocking her because the Hyrulean princess had allowed her fine kingdom to be engulfed by it when Midna had had no choice in her circumstance.

_Twilight Princess…. It can't be. She couldn't possibly…._

"So…. You knew," was all Midna said at first, and it confirmed any lingering doubt within the Hylian hero. Her face took on its most pitiful expression Link had ever known. "As a ruler who fled her people," she said, "I am hardly qualified to forgive you."

Link stumbled over her words. "Fled?" He regained the step he had lost, trying to meet her gaze, but she would not look at him. "You told me you had been banished."

"…I lied," came her quiet reply.

"But- Why?"

Still without the courage to meet his gaze, she held out a hand and pressed her fingers to his forehead. Suddenly, he was in a world of complete darkness. His vision was blurred, but he could make out the figure slowly approaching him.

Zant.

Link was suddenly the most terrified he had been in his existence. He stretched out a feeble hand as if to beg the usurper to stop, but something was wrong. His fingers were blue and feminine, and a decorative black sleeve with luminescent green designs covered his skin. Link took steps backward, his bare feet slapping against the ground as Zant's boots clanked in their wake.

Zant waved his hand and a powerful force struck him. A high-pitched gasp escaped him as he toppled to the ground, and as he tried to push himself back up, his eyes popped in shock. Blackness had infected his hands, his entire body.

Next, all he could feel was how tired his small feet were, and he collapsed to his knees. There at the precipice of nothing, he wanted to scream, to cry … to find sweet vengeance. From somewhere deep inside, he felt a power rise within him, and within moments the Fused Shadow that had made up Midna's headdress appeared hovering above his splayed fingers. Its broken stone eye glared into his soul.

A spiteful, vengeful smile overtook his lips, contorting his face grotesquely. All he knew in that moment was the most hate-filled rage that made his nerves twitch with excitement. Nothing else mattered than enacting his revenge on the usurper king and regaining the trust of his people.

Just then he saw another splash of images. He could see himself. It was the day he had first been pulled into the twilight. He saw his struggle with the shadow beast, and then came the shape-shifting of his body. How … _wonderful_ … it looked. As he spied his lupine body being carried off all he could do was smile his sinister smile as his fingers balled into a triumphant fist.

In a flash Link was again within the Mirror Chamber, but no longer did he feel those strange emotions. The sudden change stole the breath from him, and as he regained his senses, he realized that what he had just seen….

They were Midna's memories.

"What Zant did to me…" she said, her voice barely audible, "…it was worse than death. He took … everything that I was, and he … reduced me to this." She looked at her alien hands. "A small imp with no power to stop him. He took the land of my father, took my birthright. But worst of all … he stole my pride." Midna tried to blink away the memory of her former, selfish person. "Back then, the shame of being outcast, that I didn't have the strength to defeat Zant and that he could just walk in and take everything…. It was worse than any hurt. But now…." She could not find the words to express herself and shook the thoughts loose.

"In our world, we've long believed that the Hero would appear as a divine beast," explained Midna, and Link looked to her, soaking in everything that she said. The exact truth of all she had ever kept from him. "That's why when I found you I thought I could use you, Link." He realized then just how much his companion had indeed changed over the course of their partnership. "And I only cared about myself and returning our world to normal…. I didn't care what happened to the world of light. Not at all."

Link cast his gaze downward then, digesting everything that Midna had revealed to him. It was no wonder, as the proud creature she was, that she had never intended to tell him any of this.

"But after witnessing the selfless lengths that Princess Zelda and you have gone to … your sacrifices…." Link gazed up at Midna then, and he could hear how her voice choked. She still could not bear to look at her partner. Her figure was silhouetted beautifully against the light of the Mirror, and the green of her skin shined more brightly than ever before. She was beautiful and she showed true courage in confessing her sins. "I now know, in the bottom of my heart," she said, "that I must save this world, too. There is no other way."

Life seemed to return to her with this proclamation, and she turned to Link, not with sadness, but with absolute resolve. "If we can just defeat Zant, the curse on me will dissolve, and we may be able to revive Zelda."

In those moments Link began to realize how she had been so one-sided in the beginning. Not only had she wanted revenge against Zant and to reclaim her throne and the love of her people, but she also wanted the one thing that Link had always craved when he had been forced to take on the form of the divine wolf. Freedom from destiny. Freedom from a terrible curse.

"We have to do this! For Zelda. For all of this world!" she urged, and waited patiently for her companion's reply.

Link did something then that Midna had not expected, something that she could not have even begged of him at this point after revealing her deepest truths … her deepest sins and guilt.

He smiled.

"I made you a promise," he said. "Wherever it is you go…."

A genuine, caring smile lit Midna's lips then, one that Link had never before seen.

The sages bowed and faded into nothingness.

Link then nodded his partner toward the rock, and she led him to the glimmering stone tiles that had also brightened at the Mirror's awakening. Once his toes met the surface, a bridge of white stairs grew out from the stones, providing a path much like the magical stairs of the Temple of Time. Slowly, Link made his way up each stair, Midna remaining at his side.

They reached the top of the staircase, which ended in a circular platform with many of the designs like that of the Mirror and now the stone slab before them. His feet stood over a Triforce symbol, and just as he was about to question Midna as to how they were to enter the doorway before them, the mystical force of the gateway pulled at his body. He and Midna melted away bit by bit into black speckles and were swallowed into the realm of shadows.


	41. Chapter 38

**Chapter 38: Under the Sheikah's Mantle**

For a short while Link only knew the sensation of the cold and misty air which had enveloped him just a few days earlier in the City in the Sky. In his current state he could see only darkness and hear no sound. He could not comprehend the feeling; it was as if he were trapped within that strange, unknowable dimension of Midna's magic.

Next moment, he watched as his fingers and toes reshaped themselves, and as his sight returned to normal, he noticed the soil underneath looked like soot. Patches of the ground owned a strange yellow sheen that seemed to move like a bright shadow across the surface. It was like a gentle water's tide, or….

Link looked up and saw the source. He involuntarily squinted, his eyes pelted by an ocean of deep violets and reds and blinding yellows all against a backdrop of blackness. An awesome city rose up before his eyes, and in the distance in every direction, the barren lands and hills and canyons of the Twilight Realm stretched on and on into sunless horizons. The sky was starless, poisoned by black of shadows.

Even with all these dark designs, the city-no, the realm-seemed just as Midna had described. Serenely beautiful. Waterfalls of shadow streamed gently from pockets in the buildings standing around them and strokes of red luminescence laced their façades. The structures owned a basic architecture, nothing very elegant, the straight edges of the buildings perfectly complemented by the swirls and curves of their glowing crimson decorations. This was what Link liked about it so much. It was all so simple and calm.

However, though the atmosphere was warm, a kind of lifelessness infested the city, and solemn howls of pain and sorrow seemed to dowse the air. Discomfort immediately settled into Link's bones, and he at first mistook the shiver down his spine as a sign that the twilight had pierced his defenses and he would soon transform into the beast. He did not change, though, and he realized the feeling had simply been the misery of the lamentation that filled the air, as if he had breathed it into the very marrow of his bones.

He set aside the frigid feelings and turned to Midna for guidance; he did not know the road which would lead them to the usurper king, but he was surprised to find that her body had been demolished to nothing but shadows, her single red eye the only color preserved within her figure. His only speculation was that, with the force of light living within her from Princess Zelda, the imp could not retain her previous state.

"Zant. How could he…?" It was less of a question and more of a frustrated understanding.

Link realized that she had been absorbing the lay of her own lands-where she had not been in a very long time. In particular, she had been looking at the denizens of the world. Link had not noticed the citizens at first, for their shadowy and beast-like forms seemed to melt into the landscape.

"My people," her voice caught in her throat, coming to terms with the full reality of what she had let Zant do. "With his foul magic, he's turned them to beasts. But hope is not lost for these at least. There are others, like the ones we've encountered in your world…. For them … it is too late."

"Midna-" Link tried to comfort, but she turned to him then.

"The palace is directly ahead," she interjected, trying to keep her focus on the mission, "but the shadow clouds that block the way are too great even with our powers combined." Her companion looked toward the palace and noticed the dark fog. "Do you see those daises at the center of the square?"

Link nodded. The short bluish pillars were formed like braziers, but their bowls were empty and he could feel their hunger. Like oil begging to become flame.

"At one time they held the Sols. The Sols were like the suns that illuminate this world. Once they were lost, everyone began to transform." Link could almost hear the screams within her memories as she had likely been forced to watch her people suffer through the horrifying transformations. "If we can find them and bring them back," she said, "then the Twili should return to their natural state and we should have the power we need to reach Zant."

With their plan set, Link nodded and studied the buildings. He noticed two larger structures in the distance. They were the nearest to the palace and positioned to either side of the royal building. If Link were a usurper king, he would have hidden the Sols separately and as far from the reach of the people as he could without making the palace the obvious choice.

His mind made up, Link moved forward but soon realized Midna did not follow.

"Regardless of what my reasons may have been, I once abandoned this world." Link could hear the shame within her voice, and he turned to her and he could see true pain in her countenance. "I left behind the Twili, these people who had followed me, considered me to be their ruler…." She looked at them and could see their faces while Link continued to struggle to find any resemblance of facial features. "Even now, as they remain here … suffering … they believe that help will come for this world."

She met Link's gaze. "Can I ask you one last selfish favor?"

Link did not speak, waited to hear her request.

"If they were to see that the only help for them was a hideous little imp…." Midna could not finish the thought. Her hurt was unbearable. "Don't you think they'd feel let down?"

Link remembered one afternoon on the fields of Hyrule, when he had told Midna his excuse for not wishing to show or tell any other Hyrulean citizen of the monster he had been forced to embody…. His same shadowed curse. _"If they knew what I have become do you think they would be reassured or even more frightened?"_ And he remembered how she had fallen into silence, how she had not argued the point, and now he realized why. She, too, had been cursed, and she had shared his pain.

"It's only for a bit longer, but … do you mind if I continue to hide as your shadow?" She thought maybe he could read her true thought in her eyes, but she admitted it solely to herself. _I don't have your courage._

Link could not think of an appropriate answer. She seemed so delicate now, so frail, as if one small step or one short wind would shatter her into pieces. He did not know what was keeping her together now, and he did not need to know.

Link would never realize that it was his partnership, his friendship, his mere presence and the kind smile he offered when he nodded to agree to her terms…. He was the only thing holding her together now.

She wrapped her hands behind her back and looked at her feet. "I'm sorry." She said it softly, as if she knew she did not deserve any such pardon. With that, she at once disappeared beneath him.

The gravity of Midna's grief was all too real then. Link had never once heard her say those heavy words. He had never imagined a day when she would ask for any kind of forgiveness. There was so much more to Midna than he could have ever predicted. So much about her had come to light since the revelation of her true identity. He would never fully understand her past, and he was not sure if she had always been this sensitive, growing more callous and angry due to Zant's actions, or perhaps she had always been an unsentimental and harsh princess, growing kinder and more selfless only due to her time with Link.

None of it mattered. They were partners. They were on the brink of freeing both their realms.

Onward, Link pushed, for the taller building on the left. As he passed the disfigured, faceless Twili, each left a series of painful weeps in his wake. Trying his best to ignore them, for he could do nothing for them at the moment, he trucked on and stepped down the incline, the street-like path bordered by white lines sporadically dotted with glowing red designs. He avoided the Twili lying outside the threshold of the structure, its moans vibrating the very core of Link's being.

The door nearly immediately lit up at the center, a wave of green patterns-much like those that decorated the cursed Twili-radiating out from it. In the next moment, its bulk rose up to allow Link entrance. He was not quite sure how the mechanism or magic of the door functioned, but he suspected that the presence of Midna had something to do with it. He did not contemplate the easy access for long, however, for he had a quest to see through and he did not have reason to complain.

Inside, the hallway was just as dark and plain as the rest of the royal city of the Twilight. Greyish floors and blacker walls, all with a solemn hollowness. The floor declined toward a door at the opposite end, but instead of being located at the bottom of this slope, it rested at the back of a balcony constructed atop the wall which abruptly ended the path. Along each wall near the center were two shadowfalls like the ones he had seen on the exteriors of the buildings; they faced each other, bringing perfect symmetry to the hall.

Link made his way to the far side without any trouble but never lowering his guard. Once he reached the wall, he saw that it was only just too high to reach by jumping. Having been used to climbing broken stones in the sky city, he looked around for any mountable surface … but found none. The walls were clean and uncut, perfectly smooth.

All was not lost, however, for he noticed that the border that ran the base of the walls bubbled outward, and he knew that he could use their awkward design to assist him. He backed up far enough and then ran at the wall. Once he came close enough he leapt into the air, his feet landing against the surface of the border, and, just as quickly, kicked off from the wall to twist about and propel his body up toward the edge of the balcony. He managed to catch onto it, hanging off by his shoulders.

He slipped a little as he gained a better grip and breathed hard as he dragged himself up onto the balcony. He exhaled one deep, restful huff before gathering himself once more to his feet. Facing the door, this one, too, illuminated and opened itself to him.

On the other side, Link breathed in what felt like ash. His lungs heaved against the weight against his chest. Breaths would have turned to coughs, however, if fire raged within the chamber, and with a swift glance there was none to be found. True, what looked like smoke had settled to the ground, but this fog had gathered at the bases of more shadowfalls at the center of the room.

For the most part, the shadow cloud had been contained, bordered by twilight barriers on either side. These transparent walls had been left open down the middle, as if Zant had adjusted them this way just to tease him. Midna relayed to Link that as far as the King of Shadows was aware, if Link walked straight through the black he would transform at the touch of the magic. "However," she added, "with Zelda's gift you should be able to move freely. These clouds aren't as thick as the ones in front of the palace."

Bearing that hope inside, Link tugged his hood over his head and started down the stairs that emptied into the chamber. He could barely see through the haze before him, but he could just make out an identical stairway leading to another door behind it.

He stepped up to the blackness and momentarily paused. He did not wish to relive the transformation into his bestial self, not on Zant's terms. If ever he chose to change into that monster again it would be because he wished it. He lifted a hand to the fog. Strangely, it seemed to have life, coiling about his fingers ominously, as if trying to tie its dark hands around him. He shook free of the darkness, but even as it wafted away it still stretched out to reach for him.

Subconsciously, Link held his breath when he entered the cloud, and as he passed through, he held his cloak around him tighter. When he reached the midpoint, he could feel its essence crowding him, surrounding him, and choking him. It boiled his blood, made him feel sick. That was when he knew that, though he was sheltered from the twilight under the sheikah's mantle, this dark fog contained much more powerful properties that even the magic of the old race could not entirely thwart. It would shield him from the power, but only for a short time, for already, that sick feeling grew stronger and sweat beaded against his forehead.

He saw flashes of red peer out at him from the black, and for a moment he thought it was Midna's red eye staring up at him, but the crimson patterns dotted the dark in a more sporadic fashion; when they shifted about, inching closer to him as he sped his pace, he grew dizzy from their scuttling, strobe-like motions.

Link paused when at last free from the shadow, glad to be rid of the suffocating darkness which had risen in him. He did not linger long, however, and he took long strides toward the door at the top of the staircase. It was only then that he discovered the door had been bound by hard steel. Several locks bolted the chains together. Underneath, the door reacted to his presence, but its restraints only allowed its central panel to glow.

Unsheathing his sword Link hoped that the chains did not contain some magical component, for if they did, he was sure that the power of the Master Sword alone would not break its hold on the door. With all his might, he struck the blade against the chains. Sparks flew as metal struck metal, and after several long moments the bonds broke free and crumbled to the floor.

The green glimmer of the door was at last free to radiate outward, stretching to its every corner until finally it lifted free of the floor and beckoned Link onward … and onward Link crept, into a chamber of unmatched light. The room was hollow of anyone and -thing save for strange carvings projecting from the back wall. Two large and dark hands stretched outward, their forearms attached to the wall. Their palms were upturned, as if giving offering, but in this case it seemed the hands had taken an offering by force. In their twin grasp laid the very Sols for which he and Midna needed, and their bulky fingers clutched the orbs tightly, as if trying to crush the light from their essence without destroying their shape.

_So, not hidden separately after all_…. Either Zant had thought Link a fool unable of reaching the Sols, or Link had been made the fool for entering his domain.

Above this display hung a mask like a hunter's trophy, but instead of serving as a beacon of triumph it delivered warning. Its shape was that of the Shadow King's helmet. Between it and the hands were three circular patterns of glowing green set up much like a pyramid, almost serving to connect the mask and the hands.

Into the depths of the chamber Link went, and he only hesitated once when he heard something that sounded like a blade being drawn from a scabbard. Hand on hilt, he turned to find not an enemy but another obstacle. Black pikes had cascaded over the door behind him, their redness outshining the brilliant peridot colors. _Magical barriers_, he instantly knew, and his soul immediately screamed of ambush.

Mindful of his predicament, Link continued into the chamber rather than attempt to raise the barriers. Sometimes one had to spring a trap in order to escape it. Understand the trap and one could undermine it just as easily.

Link stepped up to the hands, coming to a stop in front of them at their direct center. He gazed upon the Sols, orbs of a most pure light, even perhaps as blinding and beautiful as the light orbs the Light Spirits each possessed. He never thought he would find anything that could compare, or compete, with such a magnificent light, but here were two perfectly formed, precisely round objects. The only thing that truly differentiated these spheres from those of the spirits, were the patterns of gemlike green that added to their flawless twilit shine. Link felt a wave of awe come over him in those moments, and the light absorbed him, drew him in, and just as he reached out a hand-just as he nearly touched the glowing orb between the dark fingers of its captor….

"The power of the Sols is the source of life in this world," said Midna. Link guessed that only because there were no souls within the room had Midna dared ascend from his shadow. She looked at them with such guilt, as if she personally had placed them here under confinement. "It is pure power."

_And this is too easy_…. Link added silently. He gazed up at the glaring eyes of the large mask, eyes that almost felt as if the King of Shadows himself were spying down on them … eyes that promised no mercy to whomever touched its treasures.

Link braced himself for the ambush that was surely waiting to spring forth, but as nothing had yet attacked him or his companion, he had no choice but to do the one thing he knew would force Zant's hand. What happened next gave new weight to the phrase of _springing_ a trap, for just as he touched one of the hands binding an orb, his body sprung backward, as if blown back by some vile wind.

As soon as Link gathered his wits and picked himself back up, black spikes assaulted the chamber; their construction was far bulkier than those that blocked the door, and they moaned with scarlet life, casting out a barely visible bloody web which interlocked them and barred Link from any exit.

Just then, the King of Shadows appeared before him, and the usurper remained uncharacteristically silent. Link expected his usual taunts, some calm surprise or recognition that he was still alive after their last encounter in the Arbiter's Grounds, but there was nothing save the raspy breathing. Muffled by his helmet, his breaths sounded like choked anger. He stood still like the statue of some ancient time, but as soon as Link drew his saber upon the warden of the Sols' prison, Zant launched into the air with a bellow. There he hovered and cast his arms above his helmeted head.

Link dug his feet into the floor, preparing for the onslaught of whatever would come. _So, you've come to me instead? Is this to be our final battlefield?_ Many more thoughts like these zoomed through Link's mind in those moments as he waited with bated breath. Though, he could not place it, but something seemed … off.

Darkness gathered above Zant, his serpentine, ghoul-like fingers choking the air, bringing every particle of life and death itself to reign above him, forming into the dullest light which strangely blinded and strangled Link's eyes. A deep crimson center pooled together as if the blood of every living thing had collected there, the darkness absorbing the life of it, transforming it into a wicked orb of black and glimmering shards of dark crystal.

Zant's eye pierced into Link, engulfed his stare as the reflection of the pulsating crimson played against the king's features. With another heavy roar, the king hurled the massive magical orb into the air above Link. It splashed against the air as if an invisible ceiling stretched the length of the room, as if gravity itself had been bent and redirected. The orb puddled there, droplets of shadow springing outward from the center, but before they returned to their lake above, they fanned out and took form.

In an instant hundreds of winged keese, blackened by the sick magic of the king, took flight. Their shrill voices reverberated off the walls and pierced Link's ears so violently he thought for sure he would soon be deaf. The keese had no pattern to their attack; they simply dove at him, again and again. Link could barely defend against their number, and Midna screamed as the swarm engulfed her. Her arms shielded her face as best as their thin and short length could. Link drew his defense as well, and blocked his face from the throng of twilit keese. He heard hundreds of pangs and screeches as talons and teeth attacked the Hylian metal.

The deadly flock had succeeded in separating the companions, and just as Link began thrashing through the birds as if his sword were a machete ripping through an unnavigable jungle, another burst of twilit energy blasted through the air. Link could scarcely see through the thick cloud of keese to know what had happened, but just then he felt a sharp pain around his middle. Something jerked his body back, dislocating his shield from his forearm. As the Hylian shield clanked to the floor, Link twisted enough to realize that he had now succumbed to the jaws of a baba serpent infested with the same black evil as the keese. Its teeth did little to harm him since they were dull and short, but they grated against the chainmail under his tunic, scratching his skin with enough force that he was sure to have bruises if he somehow survived this massacre.

Link writhed in the grasp of the baba, his sword arm trapped against his side by the pressure of the maw tightening around him. It may not have had much for teeth, but, like the serpent it was, it could certainly squeeze the life from him. He could not reach his last remaining dirk with his right arm, for it was sealed away under the weight of the creature's mouth. Having to bat away the keese which continued to descend upon him, he barely had the window to combat his new foe. At each opportunity, Link beat his fist into the direction of the baba's head, but its grip held strong as it swerved to dodge the swing of his blade.

Thrashed about by the baba, Link soon became disoriented as the keese clouded and smothered his air. He could hear Midna's wails and her many attempts at casting the keese back with her magic, but her powers seemed to wither in comparison to the might of Zant's magicked assailants. Desperation burst through Link's muscles then, and he yanked his sword arm this way and that in an attempt to once again free it from the monster's grasp. Yet, no matter how ruthlessly he struggled he could not break free.

An idea came to him then, and immediately he set it into motion.

He completely relaxed all muscles, and his knees gave way since his legs no longer supported his weight. Link's mass pulled the baba head to the floor, but he knew he only had moments before the creature compensated. Without a moment's hesitation he sent the singing silver surface of the Master Sword down to slice through the baba's neck. Instantly, the creature involuntarily released Link to squeal, and Link took that moment to finish it off, landing a hard thrust straight through its head.

He was hardly clear of the dangers, however, and he just then realized that when he had landed against the floor, he had been deposited right next to yet another serpent's head. It reared with a growl and launched out at him. Link rolled over to his stomach to get to his knees and slashed horizontally along its jawline, severing the head in half.

Now, it was time to dispatch the rest of the infestation. Balancing himself on a foot and one knee, he closed his eyes and opened his mind to everything. The keese were descending upon him again, and he could feel every flutter of wind as they moved closer and closer. He could hear the beating of their wings, could hone in on the slurping lips of the other babas surrounding him, could feel every cold heart pulse within his own. In that moment the fire of his soul built to boiling point, his arm outstretched, Master Sword in hand.

Link unleashed the power within him in a burst of ruby magic. The crimson wave surged from his body to his sword, and with a great spin the magic rippled throughout every corner of the room, catching the keese and babas in its fiery ocean.

The smog of evil lifted almost instantaneously, each creature popping out of existence as the energy pierced its black soul. Free of the swarm, Midna looked to Link, taking in his stone-like stance. His body was still bent with his sword arm now held diagonally before his face, the blade glinting as it reflected his cold stare, a stare that bore into the hovering eyes of Zant.

Midna returned to Link's side as the Hylian slowly surrendered his tense stance. He flexed his wrist, twirling the Master Sword once within his grasp. He clutched the hilt tightly, ignoring the countless scratches his fingers and face had suffered. He offered Midna a single swift glance to assure himself she was well, but then his sight never wavered from the figure opposite him.

A low rumble emanated from Zant, the combination of a furious growl and his recharging magicks. In an instant another bubble of crimson and black energy hung in the air, and Link rolled backward just as Zant spread his fingers in a grand gesture, breaking it into smaller spheres that rocketed toward him. Link tucked his arm through the straps of his shield and gripped it tight over his frame as he ducked out of his roll. The blast of one of the energy spheres dispelled against the metal, scattering it into even smaller orbs that faded back into nothingness. Link peered over the top of his defense to see that Midna had dodged to the side. There was an odd look in her eye, as if she smelled something that did not quite sit right.

So, she had felt it, too. Something was not quite right here.

Link rose and studied his opponent closely. He barely moved, just wavered there in the air, as if beckoning Link, daring him to come closer. The two times that he had encountered Zant, the king had been rigid in his movements, taking each step methodically as if trying to instill a cold and instant fear into his prey. Link remembered him appearing suddenly both times, but each time the usurper had taunted had mocked the hero for trying to save a people whose fate, by Zant's perspective, was already sealed in doom.

Where was the derision, the simple pleasure the king took in demeaning his prey? Though Zant moved like he should, his lack of any comment confused Link. Had the king simply lost his temper, lost his patience in allowing Link to toil on in vain? Had Link's appearance-and Midna's reappearance-into the Twilight Realm shifted Zant's focus, altered his mindset and made him understand what a threat Link had truly become, a threat not to be treated lightly with something so meaningless as a sneer?

Zant's sudden lack of movement also confused Link. It was as if they had suddenly come to a stalemate, left only with judging whose glare could do more harm. Was the king out of tricks, had his magic worn his strength, or did he calculate his next move? Whatever the case, Link could not yield to the wait of finding out. He had to act, and the perfect window had provided itself. With a sprint and a swift lunge, Link flew through the air toward Zant. He cast a diagonal strike, but his blade met no resistance.

As Link descended once more to land on solid ground, he replayed the impossibility in his mind. The blade had passed right through his opponent, and Zant's color had shifted into a green spectrum, and his image fizzled and sputtered.

_An illusion_, realized Link. All this time he had been battling a phantom, one that now zapped out of existence to teleport behind him at the center of the room. Link turned about just in time to see another sphere of energy splashing down, this one creating a portal that rose up from within the ground. Tiny vermin each the size of his foot skittered out of its magic. They looked like miniature versions of the shadow beasts, slender tendrils constructing their body, slithering their way toward Link and Midna.

Without a moment's hesitation, Link called upon the power of the hero within him again and unleashed his power as the small, crimson-patterned creatures surrounded him. The energy wave slaughtered all the beasts save for two, which crawled up Link's leg and jumped at his face. Link arched his back trying to avoid the tentacles of the flying vermin; it was too close to manage an attack, a hair's breadth away, but a blast of green and black magic slammed into the creature, tossing it into the air beside Link, who understood that Midna had stepped in at the last moment. In one fluid motion, Link slashed the soulless vermin in midair back into nonexistence, then kicked the other from his body and loosened his grip on his hilt so that his sword twirled downward. Once his sword pointed down, his fingers drew taut over its leather binding again, and he stabbed out what life there was in the second creature. Both crackled into speckles of dust just like their brothers had moments before.

Again, the hero and the false king's phantom stood opposite each other. An attack would do the illusion no harm, Link knew, but when he searched the room his sight lingered on the mask of Zant suspended on the wall behind him. He had a hunch, but his blade would not be able to pierce the twilit barrier the phantom had erected. Thus, Link had only one guess as to how he could cleave this fabrication from reality.

Link placed himself between the phantom and the helmet and waited for its next attack.

As he had suspected, the phantom charged its attack, channeling every ounce of its limited power into the humming orb above its head. It surged with the might of shadow, and as if in a last attempt to squash the intruder, the phantom flung the orb in full toward Link, who, at the last moment, dove out of its path. Its crackling energy crashed into the barrier behind the Hylian, but the magic did not break through the wall; it was absorbed. As soon as it had struck the surface of the transparent wall, its crimson veins flickered as the extra power thundered throughout its surface.

As the barrier consumed the sphere, however, both Link and Midna noticed how its skin sporadically wavered against the sudden surge of power. Before the power reinforced the barrier, it weakened it. Link knew he had to take this moment to his advantage, but before he could think of a way to reach the helmet on the other side, Midna was already forming a fistful of twilit energy, its green sparks rotating and flaring around its dark mass as she then hurled it at the barrier. Her magic was a dwarf, like she, in the face of Zant's awesome powers, but in its destabilized state, she knew she had to try.

In the quick moments it took Midna to cast her spell, the phantom had teleported over to her in an attempt to sap the energy from her hands, but Link stepped in and slashed out. The phantom responded in the only way it knew how … zapping itself to another corner of the room.

By the time Midna's green sphere sliced through the fizzling obstruction and struck the helmet, it was too late for the illusion to act. Her magic blazed into the mask right between its eyes, and the energy coursed throughout its mass like a small lightning storm. In an instant its power over the phantom was severed, and the illusion burst into an enormous cloud of shadow that settled over the most of the room. Link was glad that being so close to the Sols, the shadows could not reach him for fear of their incredible light.

The magical hold over the room now removed, the radiance of the pikes confining Link and Midna crumbled away and diminished to mere ashes of shadow, which faded into the air once more. The companions traded glances and thankful nods. Link thought that they had never before felt so much like a team than they had during recent events. It was enough to make him grin after such a close battle. What weighed heavily in Link's mind, however, was that the real Zant would likely have a few more tricks up his ornate sleeves than just a swarm of twilit keese.

Link stepped up to the twin Sols again and bathed in their healing light. He felt almost reenergized just being near them.

"We must take these back," urged Midna, and when Link nodded, she fell into his shadow.

He was a little unnerved at how easily the fingers of the giant hands opened to his forceful grip. The two inside fingers of each hand were half the length of the bordering fingers. Each appendage seemed to stop short as well, ending abruptly in the shape of a sawed off tree trunk, only their inner rings of age were lit with a fierce red luster instead. Link removed the first Sol from its prison and stared for a moment in sheer wonder at its magnificent shine, the glossy, circular green patterns decorated over its glasslike surface making its inner star seem all the brighter.

Blinking away the moment, Link shook free of his awe and grabbed up the edges of his cloak. He deposited the Sol into the folds and then stepped over to its sibling. He pried away the fingers of its cell and gently loaded it, too, into the wrappings of his mantle. Link took one last look at the mask of Zant above, ready for some last, desperate attempt at regaining the treasured Sols.

But nothing happened, and he turned away.

As he took careful steps to avoid the shadow cloud, he realized how futile his route was, for the dual power of the Sols within his possession combated the darkness as if vacuuming their essence into a world of nothingness. As the shadows dispersed, Link made his way to the exit, which was no longer sealed by the magic of the shadow king's traps. It was here, however, that Link felt a vibration boom through his toes. Turning around, he found that the two hands were no longer attached to the far wall. Instead, they had ripped themselves away, and their fingers flexed stiffly as if trying to sniff out the essence of the Sols Link now held within the folds of his cloak.

Link needed no command to tell him to flee at once. He was presently at the exit that would free them from the grasp of these hands forever, and he did not hesitate in rushing through the door. Once on the other side, the threshold shut away the danger. Breathing a little easier, Link took a moment to stave off his pants left over from his fight with the phantom and its conjurations. His pause did not stand for long, though, and within a moment-wherein he shifted the weight he carried-he descended the staircase. The Sols were remarkably as light as apples, but what made them awkward to transport was their size, each twice the size of his head.

He approached the shadow cloud within the center of the hall, and immediately the specks dispersed. However, not all the fragments were whisked away. Some remained, but these were not just shadows; they were skittering vermin. He remembered seeing red patterns in these shadows when he had first traversed the hallway, and he realized these creatures had been hiding within the darkness the entire time. He wished he had taken the time to inspect the fog more closely the first time through, for now his impatience forced him to battle their number with two Sols in tow.

Drawing his sword as he juggled the orbs into the protection of one arm, Link balanced his feet carefully. Just as he did so, he felt the vibration in his toes again. An incredulous expression crossed his face in the moment he looked behind him.

The giant hands from the other room were _melting_ through the walls, and they hungered for the warm embrace of the Sols. Their stubby fingers flexed, honing in on Link's position.

It had caught Link off guard, and by the time he returned his attention to the vermin at his feet, several of their tendrils were already groping his legs. He cast a worried glance back at the hands. Their approach was painfully slow, slow enough for him to know he could outrun them, but it was also the kind of creeping pace that stirred a frightful tension, like the sensation of a nightmare coming forth from shadow to grip him in its claws. A nightmare he could not escape no matter how fast or long he ran.

"Link, just run!" shouted Midna.

He did not know what skills these hands may hold, and he knew by Midna's urgent tone that he did not want to waste any more time. He sprinted for the opposite end of the hall and sliced through vermin as he went. When his sword could do him no further service-with the rest of the creatures suctioned to his clothes-he sheathed his blade and drew his knife. As he pried the vermin from his body one by one, he skidded to a stop in front of the door leading to the front hall. It opened just as he stabbed the last mess of tentacles from his body, with the giant fingers twitching just a third of the length of the hall behind him.

Link passed through the doorway and the black ashes of the vermin as it sizzled out of existence. He had nearly forgotten about the drop-off he had climbed when first making his way through the halls, and he dug his feet into the ground in order to stop in time. Without time to properly lower himself, since the hands were likely soon to dissolve through the wall in order to reach him, he simply jumped.

The ground was not far away in the least, perhaps about two meters, and he landed hard but safe on the metal soles of his worn boots. Just then, the hands reappeared, their hard fingers fidgeting restlessly in their thirst for the Sols' light. Ignoring their looming presence, he dashed for the opposite end of the hall, to the door that would lead him once more into the semi-darkness of the outside realm.

Link breathed hard once he had cleared the hallway, and now that he stood under the serene and starless sky, he twirled about to watch the façade for any indication that the hand would follow him into the cool and fresher air. When no appendage came, Link huffed a sigh of relief. He assumed that the magic controlling the hands had been confined to only the stones of the building.

Hearing a loud moan behind him, Link turned on his heel, pointing his dagger in the direction of the sound. What met his gaze, however, was not that of an enemy but of one of the suffering Twili left disfigured since the vanishing of the Sols. In the presence of the light Link carried, the beast turned once more into a normal denizen of the Twilight, its figure shrinking down and the darkness of its monstrous image shattering away to be engulfed by the reigning twilight. Link now stared into the hollow red eyes of a being only slightly taller. Colors much like that of Midna's impish figure covered the length of its slender body, but the dark reigned over most of its skin. It had long slender arms and short legs, and adorning its narrow head was red hair that just barely peeked from under a black covering-which Link had a hard time figuring out if it was a hood of fabric or an actual scalp.

Its vacant eyes looked into Link, and he could tell that the Twili tried to understand. It was confused and he could not tell if its withdrawn moan was due to the aftermath of its prolonged suffering or the attempt at a question. Even though he was not sure it would understand, the Hylian assured the Twili that everything was all right, and then he moved away, heading toward the twin daises in the town square. He felt the eyes of the Twili groggily following him.

Standing before the first dais, Link scanned the square, looking to all the agonized Twili wailing into the cool yet warm air. He realized how stuffy the air was, almost as if it, too, were sick with the alien power of Zant's cruel magic. Unlike the people of Hyrule who had only roamed as ignorant spirits in the twilight, these denizens-these poor souls of a lost world-were forced to writhe in shadow, ensnared by the evil as if the benign darkness within them had transformed into a plague.

Link's lips thinned to a tight frown. There was a time when he had hated the twilight, when he had feared their devastating powers, but now to truly see that they had been just as innocent all along … it made his heart catch in his throat. It took him a few long moments before he could swallow that feeling again, reminding himself that the longer he lingered in stillness the longer the people of both realms would continue to suffer.

He placed the Sols into the bowls of the daises gently, and just as soon as he stepped back, the realm seemed to shine. The gleam of the Sols shined ever brighter now that they had been returned to their proper places, and a sound like the rising hum of a bell chimed across the void.

Link bore witness to the rebirth of an entire people.

Before his very eyes he watched as the brilliance of the suns momentarily spiked and sent out a rush of light, its dome consuming everything in its path. Once the blinding light dispersed into the horizon, Link could again see shapes. Every corner of the realm gleamed a bit brighter from the touch of the pure Sols. The stickiness in the air had been swallowed; the spread of violet and orange in the sky seemed to dance like the oils of a painting, and the twilit kargaroks that flew in high above seemed much less threatening. The shadow beasts surrounding the square had now converted into their former selves once more, each patterned differently with blue, black, or white skin, but each held similar green blemishes. Countless pairs of dazed eyes searched the square, looking to each other for guidance. No more were their warm-colored eyes filled with the mindlessness of their pain.

Suddenly, Link felt a pulsation within his spine and a chime echoed into his ears. At first, he could not understand the source of the buzz. All he knew was how incredible the unexpected warmth felt. His veins were awash with fire and water in all the same moment; pure light. Without knowing how, he knew that the source of this new sensation spiraled from his sword. Drawing the Master Sword, he felt the light before he saw it, a helix of pure light coiling around and imbuing the steel with magical energy. It felt white hot and yet frigidly cold all at once.

He could see everything clearer in that moment, as if a dark haze had been swept from the very membranes of his eyes, water of such purity cleansing him and baptizing his soul against the harshness of the shadow realm. Holding the blade at his side, he powered on … straight through the crowd of bleary-eyed Twili toward the wall of shadow that shielded Zant's obvious hiding place.

Link stopped at the end of the road, and Midna ascended from his shadow, for they had come a far distance from the main square and none of the residents were able to see her at such a length.

"Your sword has been blessed with the power of the Sols. It seems the guardian deities of my world are also on our side." Midna spoke with such strength and Link knew that it had been the sight of her people returning to their natural state that had revitalized her spirits. But he also sensed longing within her voice still, and perhaps a tinge of jealousy in being the only Twili still under the curse of Zant. "You really are the chosen one, Link…. A true hero."

He traded a glance with her then, and she knew that he accepted her statement with the utmost humility. Never once had he called himself hero, and never once did Midna imagine he would so selfishly claim the title, but regardless of his modesty … he was truly the man that would save two worlds from the evil grip of false kings.

She turned back to face the overwhelming wall of dark fog. "As long as you have that sword, you should be able to repel the shadows Zant has spread."

As Link readied his blade, he noticed that she did not disappear into his shade, which rested upon a crimson design on the stone path. He realized that, with her people gathered behind them, from here on out she would remain at his side. With a grand wave of his sword, the yellow light ringing against his blade surged outward and cut through the dense fog. The moment the energy touched the darkness, it evaporated completely, revealing a chasm separating their path and the grounds of the palace. Just as Link banished the thought of jumping such a wide distance, a deafening hum shook the ground, and in the dead space a platform carved from the most luminous peridot materialized, connecting the island of the palace to the rest of the city.

Midna led the way across the magical path and came to stop at the entrance of the palace. _Her_ palace. Her eye narrowed and some emotion fluttered across her face so quickly that Link was unable to name it. And he did not inconvenience her with the question.

The palace stood remarkably tall. Black stones imbedded with symmetrical scarlet patterns laced the yellow and brown stone into which it had been built. Link approached the doorway, which lay underneath a slab of cold stone bearing three globular patterns. In a strange way the designs seemed to create a face. Ignoring this, Link entered the palace in Midna's wake.

As soon as they entered the grand foyer, a massive room with unreachable balcony walkways two levels up, six shadow beasts attacked the intruders. Link and Midna were ready for the assault, however, and back-to-back they fought. With each swipe of Link's sword, Midna also did not hesitate, slaying her former Twili followers with sometimes just a single, well-aimed magical hit to the heart or a bubble of energy which paralyzed them long enough for Link to strike.

Link slashed diagonally through the last of the beasts, and the battle ended before it even had time to pick up much momentum. He looked to Midna; her anger was clear but she did not give voice to any of the thoughts rattling inside her. Link had never killed a Hyrulean citizen. He had only ever killed the followers of Zant, followers of the demon king. He wondered how heavy the pain must have weighed on Midna's small shoulders. True, the beasts, these messengers of the dark, were no longer Twili, but it did not mean that they were not still as much a part of Midna as they were expendable grunts of a usurper king.

Link turned his attention away from Midna and noticed two dark globes that rested in niches at the center of the room. Somehow, he knew what to do, and he tapped each smoothly with the blunt side of his sword. Instantly, the darkness ebbed and light consumed their surface. A hum sounded, and in a rush of motion, a glistening stone staircase rose before them, trimmed with the magical green that echoed the Sols' power.

For a third time since the beginning of his journey, Link found himself ascending yet another array of stairs crafted by powerful magicks, and at the top, they did not encounter any further resistance. Instead, they came upon an open doorway. Down the corridor within, Link saw a great many shadowfalls dancing along the sides, each surely hiding a few shadow beasts just waiting for the opportunity to ambush trespassers.

"The throne room lies at the end of this hallway," said Midna, and Link could almost see her memories of traipsing elegantly and haughtily down its path.

"Are you ready?" he asked her.

She looked up at him then, and reflected in his eyes was the same thing she had been thinking in that very moment. This … was the end. In a few moments, the fate of the world would be decided. This was their last chance to turn away, to give up and surrender lest they die.

Midna nodded, and together they entered the long corridor infused with the blackest of shadows.

A brilliant green line, with several smaller capillaries sporadically webbing outward, stretched the length of either wall, leading them along. Within seconds the shadowfalls and dark clouds that strangled the hallway were either banished by the light of Link's sword or took on new life in the form of shadow beasts … and their number was plentiful.

Link and Midna's trek through the corridor was like some ancient tribal war dance, spinning madly, casting spells and slashes into every nook and crevice that moved or even twitched with the promise of threat. In a span of minutes, wave after wave descended upon them, and Midna's green blasts combined with Link's swipes of yellow cut down each of the monsters before they could even rear a clawed hand to strike. A few of the crest-headed beasts landed their attacks, one set of fingers slashing across Link's left forearm as it tried to dislodge his blade from his hand. Midna reacted in kind if this happened, killing the assailant, and Link, too returned the favor if she were caught in the same situation.

After a short time, which felt like forever, the shadow horde was at last no more, and the light of Link's sword had banished all clouds within sight. They stood and hovered there looking across at the countless piles of dark bodies amassed in the corridor. An overwhelming sadness passed through Midna, and she closed her eye and bowed her head only momentarily, barely long enough for Link to register the gesture. He understood that by whatever guardian deities watched over her realm, she was perhaps sending out a silent word to bless and forgive their souls.

When Midna turned about, Link followed suit. They were only a few meters from the double doors of the throne room, and they slowly crept toward the entrance. No magical barrier or steel chain barred their entry, and after another short glance was exchanged, they pressed the doors open.

At once, they were surrounded by four shadow beasts. Link readied his blade, using it as a buffer between him and the monsters. Midna snapped a green and black sphere into her hand and prepared to cast its magic. The beasts screeched their horrible screech and readied their claws, tossing their manes in a fury.

Then came the shrill alternating pitch.

With that single command, the beasts softened their posture and backed away to flank Link and Midna. Once their mass had moved aside, the companions had access to the steep staircase leading up into the throne room. Wary of the shadow beasts behind them, they lowered their defenses but did not surrender their guard. The monsters remained at the doorway, sealing them in, and with no other course of action left to them, they ascended the cold, dark steps, Link's metal soles clanking in echoes.

They reached the highest stair and halted.

Link's grip tightened around the Master Sword's leather binding.

Midna's eye and lips hardened into a permanent scowl. "Zant."


	42. Chapter 39

**Chapter 39: The Usurper's Last Stand**

The throne room, dark and gritty, gleamed with a strange kind of brilliance. Before them, hundreds of small stones lined the railings of a staircase leading upward. The stones were almost like the scales of elegant serpents that stretched all the way to the far wall, coiling up and around spheres to form pillars on either side of the throne. The gaping maws of these serpents faced the royal chair. Though a usurper sat in the simple yet tall and ornate seat, the cerulean lines and shapes that embellished the wall behind it brought out what beauty was left in the chamber.

Link stood close to Midna's side. The rage boiling in her eye should have melted Zant where he sat.

The Hylian stretched out his arm, raising his light sword threateningly. Then he offered the very same ultimatum the usurper had once forced upon his Hyrulean princess. There was a fire to his words, but they were not said with vengeance; it was meant more as a reminder to the false king of the events he had set in motion which had brought about this fateful hour. "Surrender … or die."

Link's words promised mercy … or execution. It was for Zant to decide.

After a moment the mouthpiece of Zant's mask lifted free, clicking up into the helmet. Link could see only a smirk lining his crooked blue lips. "I see Midna has filled your mind with the same lies of her forefathers," his sticky, nasal voice replied. "Did she tell you then that our ancestors were evil and power hungry? Did she tell you how our magic is dangerous, a thing to be feared … forgotten … locked away?"

"The magic-"

Zant stood at Midna's words, cutting through her voice as if his growl were a knife. "Still your tongue, whelp, and I will tell you of both magic and the oppression of ages." His bronze boots clanked mercilessly against the stones as he crept to the edge of the top stair. He took his steps so slowly and with such precision that Link expected an attack at any moment, the promise of the story a simple pretense to approach unharmed. As Zant came to a stop, a metallic click pulled at his helmet, jerking his mask up partway as the discs behind slid backward. Link could see his face only partially, yellow pupils against orange sockets dominating the king's features. With a scraping noise, the rest of the helmet receded into the spine of his armor, exposing a bronze coif that held Zant's sleek red hair prisoner.

After all this time, Link had finally met the man behind the mask. His face was triangularly shaped, his features like that of a squished serpent; his mouth was thin but proud and hooked strangely at its edges and his nostrils were small as his nose grew flatter and wider farther up his face. Royal symbols had been painted upon the smooth surface of his forehead and nose, and his small catlike eyes glared down at his unwelcome guests, black slits painted underneath each eye. "The people of our tribe … a tribe that mastered the arts of magic … were locked away in this world like insects in a cage." As he spoke Link could see even at this distance how the purple insides of his mouth stuck slimily at the sides of his lips with putrid saliva.

"It was all because they could use a power the goddesses thought beyond our capabilities, beyond our might and understanding. These gods did not wish to share power with mere mortals. And so, they were banished, for the crime of intelligence." Zant spoke with fluid yet strained motions, lifting his hands in gestures that punctuated the gravity of his words. He lifted his arms high and looked into the ceiling. His eyes were unfocused, as if staring into the depths of his own pain. "In the shadows we regressed, so much so that we soon knew neither anger nor hatred … nor even the faintest bloom of desire." His body wilted into a twisted mess of rage, his nerves twitching, bending. His feet stood rooted as his body turned and curved, impossibly limber, as if his body were not constructed by bone. In his agony he let loose a terrible growl that reverberated against the walls as his pitch altered into a hiss and moan. "And all of it was the fault of a useless, do-nothing royal family that had resigned itself to this miserable half-existence!"

When the king then unfurled his body and stamped his feet against the stone, his roars of anger and moans of displeasure reminded Link of an undisciplined child suffering a tantrum. Was this what Zant was? A childlike man who thought power a mere toy? Or had the combination of his lust and Ganondorf's magicks turned his mind from the grasp of sanity?

Zant's nonexistent brows drew tight as he glowered at Midna. "I had served and endured in your depraved household for far too long, my impudent princess." He began his descent from the throne, falling into each footfall in a kind of dance, twisting his body, flapping his arms this way and that. "And why, you ask? Because I believed I would be the next to rule our people! _That_ is why!" He stopped midway down the steps, catching his breath from his screaming rage. His panting warned Link that this usurper was something much more dangerous than he had realized. A man with a cool exterior and a sense of calm would have been a great threat, but Zant had lost all sense, lost himself to the power of Ganondorf.

"I alone would abolish this shadow forced upon us," continued Zant with a suddenly even breath. "I would welcome the Twili into a new era, one befitting our power."

Link and Midna took a cautious step backward, for as he looked at his companion he realized that even Midna had not known the full extent of Ganondorf's hold over Zant. He stood there entrapped in the embers of insanity, a spell that would never-could never-be broken by anything other than death itself.

Zant's eyes eased and his face turned into one of sadness. His features betrayed the passionate fury within his eyes, eyes that still scowled. His back arched as he let out another moan. His high-pitched shriek hurt Link's keen ears. Zant's arms sprawled behind him, and his body would have been lying against the cold, jagged edges of the stairs if not for his knees holding up his careening frame. "But would they acknowledge me as their king?" His torso popped up only to scream- "No!" -and then his body retook its pitiful stature. "And as such, I was denied the magic powers befitting our ruler."

Midna finally interceded. "You want to know why none would call you king?" She had had enough of his tantrum. "It was your eyes, Zant." In that moment, the usurper regained a straight pose and looked at her with those horrid eyes. It was as if the child within him had stripped itself away in an instant to resume the adult's conversation. He listened intently and with absolute hate. "All saw it, a lust for power burning in your pupils…. Did you think we'd forget our ancestors lost their king to such greed?"

Midna's voice had almost pleaded with him, but Link knew better. Though she tried to reason with him, she knew there was no use. Perhaps she said these things for her own good, to justify her actions, for they knew it would not be much longer before the unpredictable moods of Zant would shift into one of imminent silence, turning conversation to confrontation.

Zant's eyes glazed over, as if his insanity had chucked her comment out the door of his frail understanding. His yellow orbs looked far, far into the distance, and again his sight turned skyward. "In the thrall of hatred and despair, it was then that I turned my eyes to the heavens … and found a god."

His eyes closed and his mouth opened in a smiling moan that ached through his bones, an ache that reached Link and Midna's veins, boiling them in Zant's memories. They felt a sickness wash over them, but they held their ground and waited.

In his mind Zant revisited the day of his awakening, a day that he had run from the palace after Princess Midna had been named successor to her father's Twilit throne. How he had fallen to his knees and wept that day, thrown a fit of envious rage, screamed curses upon Midna's family to all the blackness that would lend him ear. He had banged his fists and forehead into the ground as he sobbed. The betrayal he had felt back then was tantamount to the murderous blood flowing within him. How he had loathed Midna. How he had wished to wring the life from her bones. How he had embraced the hatred within and wished for nothing more than to teach the royal family everything of treachery.

In that moment of his fitful sorrow a being had come to him, encased him in its bodiless world, empty of feeling, empty of all sensation. Empty of everything but the hunger, the deep lust, to claim what should have been his. "I shall house my power in you…" a voice had said, one that boomed across time and threatened to rip the soul from every living thing with just the force of its whisper. "If there is anything you desire, then I shall desire it, too…."

"He is no god!" Midna's shrill voice crashed his memories into pieces, and the silence that came over the usurper-his eyes nonchalantly turning a lethal stare onto her cursed figure-told Link that the moment of Zant's final reckoning had come.

Link stepped between the usurper and his companion, placing himself directly in the middle of their battle of wills. "This is your last chance, Zant," declared the light dweller. "Give up your master, and I will let you live."

His ghoulish yellow eyes, reflective of the might of Ganondorf, snapped to the young Hylian. He studied his scrawny prey only for a moment before replying. "My god had only one wish." The king's helmet promptly clacked back into place, housing him within its protection once more. The mask deepened his voice anew and it thundered throughout the throne room as he rose into the air by the power of his magicks. "To merge shadow and light…" he breathed as he hung above his usurped seat "and create darkness!"

In a flash Zant cast his arms wide with a booming roar. The pattern of his crimson magic splattered every inch of the walls, consuming and feeding off its light until nothing was left but an empty blackness. When color returned to the room, everything changed. It was as if they had gone back in time, the clock reversing to a point early in Link's journey when he had only first met Midna.

There they stood, somehow, in the very chamber that Link had once battled a boomerang-wielding, parasite-infested baboon. All nine pillars still rose up from the cavernous room, and it was atop the farthest that Zant now balanced, hopping from one to the next swiftly as blasts of red magic soared toward Link and Midna. The imp deflected the first wave of his power with the strength of her own, as Link adjusted to the change of atmosphere. He did not have time to comprehend how it had happened, however, for another barrage of magic was soon upon them.

Shield raised, Link's mind worked as dull pings resounded at each hit of the magic. He thought back on the strategy he had used against the primate and decided that it was his best option at defeating his new foe as well. When the magic stopped momentarily, Link looked beyond his defense to see Zant moving again, jumping around to try to gain a better angle on his target. Link left behind all his curiosity at how they had come to such a battlefield and embraced the reality of his circumstance. Whatever Zant's intention, the change to familiar ground had only strengthened Link, for now the Hylian had gained an advantage.

As Link hastily approached, Zant flung his magic in all directions, but the small and nimble youth was able to stay one step ahead of the king's last projectile. Before Zant could leap away safely, Link plowed the full weight of his body into the pole upon which he stood. He wavered at the top of the beam in an attempt to regain control, but his balance had been broken and he fell.

Zant caught himself on the ground behind Link but with Midna opposite him, he had been caught directly between the two. Midna was already in the motion of casting a spell, and the usurper arched his back to avoid her attack-which crashed explosively into a pillar. His dodge had shifted him dangerously close to Link's swinging blade, however, and just as the blade would have cut through his neck, Zant vanished.

Link and Midna stepped back-to-back, searching. Then they heard the false king's determined growl. He had teleported above them, and in an eyeblink the crimson magic made the room come alive again, its veins stretching the length of everything and disintegrating it into atoms. In their rebirth, the lifeblood of Zant's magic became hot with the smell of magma and fresh with the scent of it. The sensation burned at Link's eyes, trying to dry every inch of the wetness that tried so desperately to cling to his membranes, but Link and Midna's eyes watered at the touch of the ash-filled battleground. Sweat immediately poured from their skin. At once, Link's tunic stuck to his flesh and he could barely breathe against the pain of the heat.

He tried to move and realized that his feet were glued to the floor. _What magic-?_ Link's unfinished question was answered as he looked to the floor. His vision was met with the sparks of green vitality that he would never forget. Looking around, really taking in his surroundings, he realized that this was where he had fought off the enormous goron named Dangoro within the tribe's mines. Here, on this magnetic surface was where Zant would make his next stand.

At the thought of the usurper, the ground began to quake and the orange liquid bubbled and sucked at the edges as they dipped this way and that. They heard a mad screeching, like a thousand hyenas cackling in the night trying to sing like a human. Turning, they saw Zant bouncing up and down on the rim of the large circular field, his bronze boots allowing him to cling to the arena in the same fashion as Link's modified pair. The way he flailed his arms and shrieked looked and sounded as if he were a laughing child, treating the ring like his own personal playground.

Once Link moved forward-Midna flying ahead since she could avoid the obstacle of the ground altogether-Zant teleported from the spot and reappeared on the opposite side. A salvo of crimson spheres attacked Link, and he just barely had enough time to reassess Zant's whereabouts in order to raise his defense. Behind him, Midna created a shield of emerald magic; each red droplet that slammed into it only served to absorb into and reinforce her magic.

Link stomped toward the king during his quick-handed assault. He marched closer and closer until the bombardment ended, and Link feared that, just as he was getting so close to his target, Zant would teleport once more, suspending them in this cycle for an eternity.

The king did not dissipate, however, and again switched tactics to resume his insane bouncing. Link knew that the only reason that he could have been acting this way was to try to dislodge his opponent from the soles that protected him against falling. This was the very method that would prove to be his downfall, though; Link knew that he had to do exactly as Zant wanted. When next the king sprung and struck the unstable surface, Link timed his fall precisely so that Zant would think that he had succeeded.

Midna called out to Link, but Zant held her at bay with a volley of his red magic as he continued to jump up and down on the edge. This forced the imp to stay within her shelter, each attack hitting with such force that they were like flaming arrows striking a wooden shield about to burst.

Link, mindful of how he held his metallic weapons, let himself slip and he slid closer and closer still with each rocking of the arena. Since Zant held Midna at bay, Link understood that the usurper wanted to cleave the life from Link with his bare hands, or … he wanted to watch as the light dweller churned in screaming, searing pain in the vat of hot magma boiling below them.

The Hylian did nothing to disappoint the king, but just as he was within inches of toppling over the side, within breaths of being nothing more than ash….

Zant halted his attack on Midna and, either aiming a magical attack or readying to grapple Link by the neck, he stretched out a skeletal hand with joints as twisted as his soul. In that moment Link took action. He slammed his right arm down onto the humming surface of the clinging magnets, and his shield jerked him to a stop, its metal stapling him to the surface as it had done all those many weeks ago. Gravity and the shield dually yanked on Link's body, and though the heat was quickly draining him of strength, his gripped the straps tighter than anything else in his entire life. His body safe from the pull of gravity, he launched his shoulder out and swung wide with his elbow, his wrist finishing the motion as he screamed.

Due to Zant's outstretched arm, Link's horizontal blow was left wide open to slice his exposed midsection, and the attack cut him deeply. Zant let out a shrill cry and clutched at his side, but the wound did not end in the king's demise. Instead, Zant zapped away, reappearing at the center of the platform. Midna had been racing toward Link, but at the sudden change of position of their foe, she was thwarted. She stopped just inches from Zant, and he backhanded her to the ground.

She fell hard against the surface, gripping her cheek where his hand had struck her. She passed an evil, hateful look at Zant, but then refocused her attention on Link when she heard the deafening noise of metal scrapping against metal. The momentum of Link's lunge had shifted the weight of his body as his shield remained in place, but it slipped partly as his feet swayed precariously over the edge. He could not pull himself back up, for his hands were tied down with clutching his only safety and his sword. He could have tossed the saber away, but he could not risk losing the one weapon in all the world that could slay evil.

A sane man would have let things lie-would have let Link die this way-but Zant was one infested with power beyond his control; he only understood the desire to cause more pain before allowing either of his victims to fall to death. Zant cast his spell again, a tide of red creating a new void, one that sent Midna and Link spiraling into the air. Link thought that surely he would melt to cinders, but in the sudden darkness the heat evaporated and filled him with an abominable cold.

Link could not fill his lungs with air, as he soon realized that water crushed him from all sides. He wished with everything that was within him that he had the veil of his Zoran armor, but wishing would not make it come to pass. He dashed the thought from his mind and focused on keeping what air he had left.

He felt a tug on his cloak and found Midna latched onto its flowing mane as it rippled gently through the dark waters. He found the same fear in her eyes, the fear that they would drown here. Link grasped her wrist in that moment and as their eyes met, he fed her his strength, a reassurance that they would escape this predicament as surely as they had escaped all else that had been set before them.

A few bubbles eased out of Link's lips as he turned his attention back to the waters. There was nothing in the darkness. He wanted to unite his cloak from his body, for it weighed him down and choked him within the water just as it had within the intense heat of their last arena, but he still was unsure if these scenes were the true locations-Zant having teleported them into the light world-or if they were complex conjurations based on what the king could glean from the hero's memories. For that uncertainty, Link retained his cloak for fear that its removal would give the twilight power over him … turning him once more into a wolf. A wolf in the water would have much less a chance at survival than a human weighed down and unable to breathe.

Link felt the ripple of the red magic before he saw its might, the water slamming into him a warning of what was to come next. Link released Midna's wrist and pulled up his shield, a hard thing to accomplish in time since the pressure of the water slowed every action save for the muscles in his mind. For this reason alone, everything seemed to progress in slow motion.

They saw Zant at the bottom of the pit, one in which Link had once battled a gigantic eel in order to gain the last of the Fused Shadows. Link and Midna swam toward him, but by the time they even closed half the distance, the king had teleported himself to an adjacent spot at the middle of the underwater sand dunes. Another salvo of red missiles launched themselves at the pair, and Link and Midna hid behind his shield.

Link's lungs were heaving, begging for air, and he could see that Midna, too, struggled against the absence of fresh air. This had to end.

After the last dull crack sounded against his shield, he cast it to rest against his scabbard. With his hand once again free, he stretched out his arm, bubbles multiplying before his purpling lips. He released the mechanism on his clawshot and it sped through the waters, cutting a path straight for the usurper.

The hook latched onto his leg and Link pressed the next button, reeling him in like a fish. Though their mass was relatively the same, with Midna clutching onto his cape at his shoulder as to not be left behind, they each were pulled to the other by the force of the chain. Zant could not comprehend what was happening, could not understand what magic the boy had applied.

Link readied his sword for the plunge into his heart.

Midna gathered her magic for the ending blow.

As their combined attack sailed sluggishly through the resistance of the waters, Zant had time to catch up. In the instant their attack would have impaled him, his body popped and rematerialized behind them.

But they had no more time; their breath could no longer sustain them.

Just as Link and Midna thought, as their lungs forced the toxic air from their bodies, that they would surely die….

Blinding red lights flickered through the water in every direction, and Link involuntarily closed his eyes against their brightness.

Then suddenly the already chill waters became unbearably more frigid. Link and Midna could breathe again, but the air came in painful, dry heaves, as if the sun itself had withered and died and left only cold in the world. Their lungs burned from the freezing air, and Link's lashes cracked as he reopened them to a world of white.

Zant had used his magic again, displacing the waters and returning them to the room in which Link had nearly killed an innocent girl.

The bedroom of the yetis stared back at them, impossibly still frozen over in thick sheets of frost. Link's wet clothes sucked tight to his body and made movement difficult. Though the companions were once again filled with oxygen, the biting cold of the room threatened to freeze them instantly. With the ice still blanketing the room, Link came closer to understanding these worlds as a mere illusion, as the phantom Zant had been.

Zant hung in the air before them, and Midna took the opportunity to hurl her energy toward him. With a wave of his ornate sleeve, the magic was redirected, and Link and Midna ducked to dodge it as it then exploded into the ice behind them. The force of the hit sent white powder to snow down upon the pair.

Then right before their eyes the king's figure swelled larger and larger. He was like a genie slowly escaping from his bottle in a vapor that expanded him to his true and mighty size. Except, he would only grant _one_ wish: Death.

Link had the awful feeling that this giant among giants would crash down upon him, and he ran from under the beast. Or … he would have. As soon as he tried to move, his knees quaked and he looked down to realized that the metal of his wet boots had cemented him to the ice. He could not move. As he heard Zant's deep and booming jovial growl, Link knew that it would only be a matter of time before the king descended. Midna tried to free him with her magic, but the spell only rebounded and was sent flying to impact another section of the wall.

With the Master Sword, link stabbed at the ice, quickly chipping away the folds of ice that held him stationary. He watched the reflection of Zant below him in the ice. Just as Link had wrestled one boot free, he could hear the echoing roar of Zant. In that moment the king plunged, and Link stabbed and yanked with all his might.

But it was not enough. Link braced himself for the coming of the end but did not relent in his attempts to free his foot.

As had been the case with many of his near-scrapes with death, if he did not have a companion, he would not be alive.

With everything that was in her, Midna concentrated hard and gathered all the strength she had within one fist. She unleashed her courage in an orb of rage and heaved it at Zant. The magic caught him just meters away from Link and crashed into the side of his leg. A great bellow reverberated the walls, shattered the frost from the windows. Ice sprinkled down upon Link as he shielded his eyes. From behind his arm he saw that Midna's power had cast a pall of crimson light over the chamber for a split second, one that disoriented Zant and seemed to sap him of energy. He landed hard against the ice floor, and the room rattled against his mass. Cracks webbed along the floor, breaking apart, creating fissures along every wall.

Zant dwindled, smaller and smaller, as his body flopped about the chamber in a wicked dance. He grew even more crazed as his body returned to normal size, squealing in anguish either at Midna's hit or his diminishing strength … or both.

The splits in the ice that had emerged from Zant's landing freed Link from his icy restraints, and he propelled himself forward, skating along the ice like a deadly spear. His metallic soles grinded against the frozen floor as he picked up speed. And in an instant Link was at Zant's side. Link wheeled his body about to create the correct momentum for his sword arm. With a full body spin, a leg extended to adjust his balance, Link swung his sword at Zant's throat like a deadly axe.

His blade landed with a hard vibration in the icy wall. Zant had again saved himself from death by teleporting from its path.

Link's breath fogged. His muscles screamed. His spine creaked. Snot cascaded from his nostrils. In a huff of both exhaustion and frustration at having nearly died three times now in a matter of minutes, Link's jaw clenched as he jerked his blade free. He turned to find Zant already in the motions of rinsing the frozen room from existence.

As the atoms shifted once more and reorganized themselves, Link found himself deposited on what looked to be the stairs of the south side entrance to Castle Town. He remembered sitting on one of these steps when meeting a curious young Princess Agitha.

Link and Zant faced one another on the topmost tier of stairs, surrounded by the pillars and flowerbeds that made up a once peaceful area. Now, however, the yellow of twilight had inked over its radiance and the looming figure of a sealed Hyrule Castle rose behind Zant.

Link wanted with all his being to attack first, but each time Zant had reshaped their arena he had brought a new flair to his technique, a new tool from his arsenal of tricks. Zant, however, seemed stunned by the environment-frantically looking this way and that-as if he had not intended to bring forth the image of Hyrule Castle.

Zant recovered quickly, though, and stood tall once more. Against all of Link's expectations, the folds of the usurper's helm clanked and rolled away to expose his face once more. Link and Midna looked into his eyes and found true and unyielding rage within the yellow orbs, as unforgiving as the heat of any broiling star. He lifted a bony hand to his forehead and pushed back the veil that entrapped his head. Tendrils of greasy red hair bounced down and gathered at his cheeks. Having been captured under the coif for so long, the usurper's hair stuck out at odd angles, tangled locks jutting out sporadically.

He looked truly demented, his wild eyes flaring as he cast both arms into the sky. With a jarring roar, he flung his arms down, each sleeve producing a wicked, curved saber. He waved the black blades about, slashing through the air theatrically, their red-hilted and white-edged steel singing a melody of death through the air.

Link's knuckles turned white as he gripped the Master Sword, humming with the life of the Sols.

Zant charged.

He moved slowly at first, and if he stepped with his right foot, he slashed with his right hand, and vice versa. The movements were grand and wide, leaving himself open to attack, but Link thought that perhaps he had grown too mad and so tired of the nuisance Link and Midna had become that all he could think about was killing them.

As they fought, the cut on Zant's side pained him and drained him of energy. It was all he could do to maintain his energy. He thought that if he could remain the aggressor, keep his victims on the defensive, then he could land a killing blow to each. He had watched them as he had fought them, studied them close. He knew how dependent of each other they had become. If he was successful in eliminating one, the other would fall soon after. It was the stronger of the two onto whom he focused all his efforts.

Link. The light dweller. The meddler.

Each time Link broke through the king's offensive, Zant teleported and continued his barrage. This routine kept Link on his toes. Midna remained at a close distance, sending her magic in to help Link at every opportunity, but Zant flicked a wrist each time and cut her spheres asunder.

His attacks only quickened as the battle raged on, and Link could not understand where and how he was getting the strength to fight so vigorously. There was only one answer: the power of his god, the power of Ganondorf. The power had totally consumed Zant now, and it was the only thing keeping the usurper on his feet. Link knew that without such power, no mortal could have possibly continued on with such brutal endurance.

Finally, Link landed a strike, cutting Zant along the forearm. The usurper stopped only momentarily to let out one of his nasal and shrill screams. He panted, boiled, with rage. In one sweeping motion, the king turned into a blur of speed, a blur of death. Thankful that he had again issued the protection of his shield, Link raised its defense against Zant's spinning body. His arms swung in wild arcs, blades slicing through the air. He spun so furiously that Link was sure that his fury would tear holes in the sky itself.

The twilit steel crashed again and again into Link's shield, scratching and denting it deeply in the unstoppable onslaught. Midna was forced to remain out of the fight while Zant attacked her partner in such a fashion. With the whirl of motion, she was not sure if an attack would hit Link or if it would bounce off the swords of the crazed Zant.

After long moments of straining his muscles to maintain his defense, Link noticed Zant's speed waning. At last, the king had exhausted himself. Link cast the Master Sword in a deep thrust, and its blade caught Zant in the stomach.

All at once the usurper stopped, and he stared wide-eyed at the pain creeping through him. His stupefied gasp hung on the air as his swords fell to clank against the stones. His body felt numb suddenly, drained of power, drained of life. He looked up at Link with those horrible serpentine eyes … and blinked. Link removed the blade from his body, and the usurper staggered as he held his stomach.

"You … TRAITORS!" Zant's screech echoed throughout every reality, and then, with a resounding thud, he crashed to the ground, as did every grain of their environment. The world he had crafted died with him.

Once more, they were within the throne room of the Twilight.

Relief flooded Link as he collapsed partway to prop his hands against his thighs. He steadied himself just as he looked over to Midna. She hovered there, looking in expectation at her hands, hands that were still of impish quality.

Midna did not understand it. She rubbed her fingers over the black of her hands as if trying to wipe away the falsehood of a mirage. Her breath caught in her throat. An overwhelming disbelief climbed into her. She thought herself about to cry in a furious rage, to scream curses to every god she knew. She turned about to scan the rest of her body, expecting to see her former self. She gazed at herself from every possible angle, blinking several times as if trying to will her body to transform. She had every right to believe that once Link had cast the deathblow she would again be what she had once been.

"Midna … foolish Twilight Princess…." Zant's breaths came in painful and soft gasps. "The curse on you cannot be broken." He let those words sink in, and that they did. Rage like nothing else Midna had ever felt boiled her blood. In his weak state, Midna reached out with her magicks and stole back the power of the Fused Shadows, reaching into the realm of his dark, evil power and sapping him of their strength. They melded into her again, the power slipping back into the dimension of her magic and empowering her once more.

"The curse was placed on you … by the magic of my god!" Zant coughed, as he sat drooping in the royal seat. He clung to the arms of the throne as if grasping it would hold him that much longer to his life. "The power you held as leader of the Twili will never return!" Fury built within Midna, and combined with her reacquired ancestral power, the bottle of her emotions no longer held its cork.

Zant ignored her rage. "Already he has descended and been reborn in this world…."

Those words caught the companions off guard. Deep anger and a sense of fear flashed in their eyes. They had come all this way to face Zant and his master, to end it all here and now … but Ganondorf was no longer within this dark realm. He had crept back into the world of light and was surely now preparing for a final assault against its people.

"As long as my master, Ganon, survives, he will resurrect me without cease!"

The gasp that escaped Zant's lips then was not one in fear of death, it was one uttered in the awe of his master, the mastermind behind everything, the god that would give new life to Zant.

Midna could no longer contain the fury of her emotions, and in an instant, the gleaming orange tresses at the back of her head enlarged and elongated into three white-tipped, blood red tendrils that speared Zant in the heart. The pulsating essence within her power bent and cracked Zant's body until he exploded in a cascade of magic.

Once the usurper was no more, Midna's locks of hair returned to their natural state dangling around her nape. Within those seconds, Link did not know how to react. He had leapt back at the sight of Midna's attack, and his mouth still hung loose as she held herself within her arms, trembling from the shock of what she had just done. Link could not compare the fear within her face to anything else he had ever seen.

"I … I used just a fraction of the power that's in me now…" squeaked Midna's soft voice. She could not comprehend what had just come over her. Never had she felt so empowered by rage, so tangled in its web. The power of her ancestors overwhelmed her, and she was suddenly very afraid. She realized now how true the warnings of the light spirits had proven. "I did … _that_ … using only a fraction of my ancestor's magic?"

She looked at the empty chair where Zant had just been sitting … where _she_ had once sat. The throne that her father had passed on to _her_. The memory of him and her duty to her people reminded her of her purpose, the course she had to follow to the end. She could not afford to fear the magic. She did not have the luxury of heeding the spirits' warnings. She had to use this power against the evil tyrants that had enslaved their worlds, and if anything happened, if she were to misuse the power … she knew that she had Link.

"Link! Now is the time!" She turned to him, beseeching him. "We must save Zelda!"

Link had just steadied his heart from seeing the power she was now capable of wielding with the recovery of the Fused Shadows. It frightened him, but he knew that she was stronger than Zant had been. She was the ruler of the Twili, and if anyone could wield the power that the Interlopers had once controlled, it was Midna. She had been through so much, seen so much, and he knew-without any further doubt-that her heart was true.

"The evil power Zant was wielding … I couldn't take it from him." She meant the power Ganondorf had passed on to him, of course, and Link had known somehow that such power would have been impossible to break from the usurper. It was the power of the Triforce, imparted in some fashion to the false Twili king. Its terrifying power had not been meant for Zant. It was the reason he had gone mad, Link told himself.

At that, Link could not help thinking what effect the Triforce part within _himself_ would have done to him if he were not meant to have it.

Midna again caressed her hands as she continued, "But at least I still have the magic of my ancestors…. With it, I can return the cherished power Zelda bestowed upon me…."

She started for the door and turned back to look at Link. The emotion within her eye, the pure selflessness, the caring, the devotion she had to Link as her partner, it gave Link all the reassurance he would need. The battle with Zant had told him much; it had shown him what lengths Midna would go to in order to remain at his side. And this look in her eye … it said everything that she would never have to.

She held up a hand to wave him on. "Let's go! Princess Zelda is waiting!"


	43. Chapter 40 Part 1

**Chapter 40: Through the Barrier PART 1**

The four shadow beasts still waited at the bottom of the stairs of the throne room, barring Link and Midna's exit. With bone-shattering shrieks, they vainly gave their lives in the attempt to avenge their fallen leader. Midna gave pause once more to honor her lost subjects with a prayer and perhaps even an apology.

On the way back through the dark palace, Link let his mind wander. He reflected on his confrontation with Zant, and how the Triforce had truly twisted the usurper's mind. It had almost been like looking into a dark mirror, seeing what he could have become if he had made different choices along his journey. The images that Lanayru had shown him of the Interlopers came back and the memories of their sinister faces hung within his mind.

Questions hung in Link's thoughts. He was the rightful heir to the Triforce, the blessing of the goddesses. Zant had not been. Link had always been a person of right and good, but now he had to wonder…. Was there a power that could change that? Could he ever become infused with the same sinister darkness that had lived within Zant … the Interlopers? Or was it because of his status as the true Hero of legend that he had always been a selfless person? Was its power the only thing protecting him from the temptations of other men, the temptations of evil thoughts? What would he be without the blessing of the gods? Who would he have become if not the Hero?

Had he been given the mark of the gods because of his courageous heart, or had the blessing _created_ courage within him?

Link stopped when he realized that they had reached the periphery of the square outside and that Midna had stopped in her tracks, looking out at the sight of her people stumbling around as if blind. They reached out, conferred with each other, tried to make sense of their situation.

Midna surveyed her people with a glazed expression. She did not saying anything, and Link did not interrupt her. Her eye drifted from one body to another until finally her vision rested upon the twilit sky, its deep violets and blinding yellows casting a watery reflection in her eye.

Link thought he understood what must have been going through her mind. He thought perhaps that she whispered an unvoiced goodbye to her people, words that would live within them if she were to never return home. Link braided his fingers together before him and stood silently at her side. He offered her all the time she needed.

In the long moment Midna remained hovering there and absorbing the landscape she had once described as having _serene beauty_, Link pondered what form Midna would take if the curse of Ganon was lifted. Each of the Twili were either a few heads taller than the average Hylian or were the same size as the Twilight Princess was now: impish. Would her figure take on only a somewhat different appearance, or would she become one of the taller ones with the slight hunch in their shoulders?

Suddenly he realized the pessimistic tone his thoughts had taken. _If_ the curse was lifted…. The curse _would_ be removed. They would defeat this dark lord, and they would reclaim all that had been lost to them, all that had been lost to both their worlds. In that moment, as Link looked to Midna, he realized he would do anything to erase the numb look on her face. Even if all hope looked to be lost, even if he wavered in face of battle, even if his very breath faltered … he would maintain his oath to an old mentor.

For as long as there was life in him, for as long as there was another step needing to be taken … he would pick himself back up. He would march on.

As Link's vow echoed within his bones, Midna turned to him. She had the same look in her eye, one that said she would willingly sacrifice her life for the sake of their mission. But Link swore to himself that as the Hero, he would never allow it to be her. If someone's life had to be forfeit … it would be his.

After all, Link was not the reigning monarch of Hyrule. That honor was bestowed upon the princess, Zelda. Midna, too, was a leader. The people of the realms would need their sovereigns after the battle was won. In a time of peace, a time when the pieces were to be healed, Link thought there would be little use for a hero to save the day after it had indeed already been saved. Link was a warrior, a soldier, and in the aftermath of the final battle he did not expect there to be much need for his role to continue.

Together, Link and Midna marched back into the light … both ready to give their life so the other could survive.

===============

Once they had rematerialized within the Mirror Chamber, Link and Midna had expected to be greeted by the sages and final words of wisdom, but it was perhaps due to the guilt of which they had convicted themselves that they remained silent and unseen.

Night still reigned in the skies above, making the eve of their return seem all the more ominous. The air was still, and once they had trekked back through the dungeon to come to the boundary of the encampment, Link found the reason for the disquiet in his bones. A storm approached Hyrule on a southward wind, and if Link understood the signs in the clouds, the storm would be upon the town only a day ahead of their arrival.

Link began the long road back through the rising and falling dunes and tried to stave off the hunger licking at his insides for as long as he could. What water he could drink due to his rationing was not near enough sustenance, and by noon of the next day, he could ignore the sensation no longer. He crept up on a shaded area where he had seen the sands shifting from about a quarter-mile away. Through this pocket of sand protected from the sun by a short ridge of crags, Link hunted one of the many moldorms that slithered through the area.

He had climbed up onto one of the rocks to get a better view of their nesting ground and found that they stuck together mostly and only to one portion of the rocks. He glimpsed a single pocket of sand moving near the center of the ridge and slunk down and moved across the rocks to approach it, moving steadily away from their main group as he did so. It did not take him long to corner his prey, as it merrily skittered through its sandy blanket, unbeknownst to the danger of the looming Hylian. As the moldorm glided along, it came to a dead end. That was when Link made his move.

From his observation of their nest, Link knew that the moldorms could tunnel under the sand, but it was unclear just how deep they could dive. He was not about to take the chance that his meal would escape by tunneling under the barrier. He speared the sands with his Master Sword and raised it again with grim smile.

Moldorms were encased by a tough outer shell, stretching the length of their fat, snakelike bodies. Its grey head-with its triangular maw accompanied by three ugly fangs-would be completely inedible. However, the soft underbelly of the creature would provide him with enough nourishment to continue his journey back to into Hyrule's mainland.

He moved to the west side of the rocks away from the gathering of the other moldorms and prepared to roast his catch. Had Midna not been with him, scouring the desert for fire-starting supplies would have taken quite a while. Before he asked her help, however, he knelt down in the sands and took dagger in hand. He worked its steel through the hard carapace of its head and back and soon separated them from the fleshy body. He stabbed his sword through it once more and held it out. One zap from Midna's magic charred the meat instantly and perfectly.

Before he took to his meal, he offered Midna a sliver. She rejected it. "Are you really going to eat that?"

He chuckled. _Well, the desert is called a wasteland for a reason_, he wanted to retort, but his mouth watered in hunger and decided not to waste any more time in regaining some much needed energy. He sliced off portions of the cooked moldorm and gobbled it up thankfully. Its taste was not much to his liking and was tougher than steak, but it satisfied his pleading hunger.

As he sat there Link tossed a look to Midna, who sat on a boulder to his right. Her legs dangled at his eye level, and he watched her for a moment as she kept her eyes on the horizon. A thought stemmed from her refusal of Link's catch. He had never once seen his friend eat, neither a crumb of bread nor a sip of water, and he had to wonder how she had maintained a full belly throughout their journey together. Had she taken her meals while he had slept? What kind of food did the Twili eat? Did they even have the need to eat, or did they sustain their hunger in some other fashion?

Link could not help thinking about the manner in which Midna might eat. Did she require knife and fork as he expected was demanded of a member of a royal household, or would she happily dig out a healthy helping with those small fingers? The image of both brought a soft chuckle to his throat which he tried to snuff out, but that became difficult when his laugh turned to a harsh cough from the rough meat he had just swallowed.

Midna turned to him in concern, but Link waved her off and dispelled the rest of his cough into a fist. He subconsciously kept his head turned as if afraid she would glean the truth of his cough by looking into his eyes. She stared at him a moment longer, watching as he then continued to eat his meal, slicing off another portion of the moldorm and biting it into his mouth straight from the grasp of his thumb and blade. Momentarily, the scene before her turned from desert to woods as she imagined what his life had been like before all this … before her. She imagined him sitting under a tree in Faron Woods, graciously stoking a fire as he ate a proper meal of deer or rabbit or some such forest animal. He could be there right now had it not been for her, had she not been so easily cast aside by Zant … had she his courage.

Forest tumbled into desert once more, and she turned her eye from him, looking off into the western horizon. Once all this was over, would Link return home to that forest … or would he explore the lands beyond his kingdom, perhaps even whatever land it was that lurked in the distance?

She promised herself that he would see those days and make that decision for himself.

===============

Sometime in the late afternoon of the next day, Link and Midna crossed through the canyon that led back into the western rocks of Hyrule. It took them until evening to cross the Great Bridge of Hylia and approach Castle Town's west bridge. At this point, Midna had descended into her partner's shadow, for they were surprised at the flow of citizens moving out of the town's gates. Link passed each group of people with a concerned look. It was as if they were refugees fleeing the scene of a terrible battle, each cluster or family holding only to the items they would need for relocation. Horses drew carriages and carts along holding food and other necessities along with young children.

Link stopped and cast his gaze up to the castle walls. Hylian archers and soldiers lined the battlement above. Some had their backs turned, watching the goings-on within while others observed the evacuation. With the barrier still shielding Hyrule Castle, Link wondered why now, of all times, the soldiers had deemed it necessary for the residents to vacate the grounds.

The citizens seemed to raise their heads in recognition as they brushed past him. He heard whispers rise through the crowd as he approached the gates. He did not know if they were gossiping about his newest affliction of scratches and cuts or whether they were spreading the hope that he had come in their hour of need.

"Hello, Grasshopper!" a shrill voice called out. Link looked down and recognized the little girl named Agitha who had given him the wooden statue he had needed to help Ilia. She held her pink parasol in one hand as she carried her basket in the other. Something told Link that she had packed bugs instead of survival food. She was an odd one.

"I suppose you've come to help the soldiers," she said. "It's funny. They look like big beetles in all that armor, don't they?" She giggled and then continued on with the other citizens. She called back a blessing of good luck as Link watched her, blinking rapidly as he tried to shake the strange joviality of her comment.

Behind him he heard another voice, but this one was much older and masculine. "You know, if you came here looking to become a solider, you may want to change your mind; I won't say a thing."

Link turned to find an older gentleman kneeling down to reclaim the belongings that had apparently spilt from his satchels. Link bent over to help the old man gather apples, small trinkets, and other fruits and bread. With this gesture from a young lad, the older man's tone shifted. "Do you know what's been going on around here lately?"

Link knew from that question that the old man likely did not know who he was. Link remained silent.

"Hyrule was always known as a sacred land in the past," the white-bearded man said, "and even now it's protected by the royal family and other spiritual figures…. But there was a time when Hyrule was torn by conflicts that swept the land. The rumor is that these recent events may be caused by the leftover anger and misery of the souls who were driven from this land. By the look of that dark magic over the castle, I'd say the rumors are true. They say not even the soldiers can penetrate the wall. There seems to be little hope for the princess."

Together, they had refilled the man's bags, and Link helped him to stand once more against the support of his staff. "You best be on your way, boy. There is no hope left to be found here."

Link watched as the old man hobbled across the bridge, and sadness washed over the young warrior. Time seemed to pass slowly as he stood vigilant of all the departing inhabitants. He heard the whispers, the sobbing from children, the downcast glances from the adults, but he also heard a group of youngsters rolling away on a cart; they sang a tune to keep occupied on the long road ahead of them.

"Jovani, Jovani, idiotic troll. Blinded by greed, the imps took his soul." The melody brought Link out of his daze, and he at once turned to shoulder his way through the throng of people. The people who recognized his blond hair and intense blue eyes gasped or cheered at the sight of him so that by the time he reached the gate, the soldier who stood watch over the traffic already knew of his coming.

They stopped Link, for he was the only one trying to get _in_ to the town. Link said nothing and neither did the guard who scrutinized him. The soldier tossed a look behind Link and immediately identified the legendary blade that had, in fact, bestowed the same honors to its current owner. The appearance of the Master Sword was now known to all soldiers of the Hyrulean army, as were the features of its bearer.

The solider, a stern look over his countenance, conferred silently with another guard. They seemed to come to some agreement, for he then nodded Link on by cocking his head to the side.

Link did not wait for the soldier to change his mind and entered the streets of Castle Town. He looked to his right, down the western thoroughfare, to see its cobblestone path stripped bare of most of the vendors' kiosks. The tables that had been left in the streets were pushed up against the houses and their boxes of goods shut up tight. Barely any of the houses were filled with light, and the few that cast out orange glows were only alive while their inhabitants packed up what belongings they could carry. Some of the people had even gone to the trouble to stay long enough to board up their doors and windows in fear of invading warriors ransacking their homes. At least this meant that they had not lost complete hope that the town would be lost forever.

As Link made his way along the stones, he took his steps slowly, looking all around. Evening had fully lit the sky, but instead of the red and violet paints that normally brushed its clouds, darkened grey had overtaken with the threat to rinse the town in rain. There was a calmness about its dulled appearance that sent a shiver through Link's spine.

The still before the storm.

He noticed a few guards spreading light to the torches surrounding the square as he entered it. There were a few dozen residents encircling the fountain at the center, collecting water into buckets and waterskins. Some even took the opportunity to wash a few blankets or articles of clothing. None of the guards seemed to care how the citizens used the water in this time, but a few stood to the side, urging them to do what they needed and then move along to make room for the others that waited to use the resource.

Link longed to splash water in his face, to taste something so cool and luscious as this on his tongue again, but he refrained. Instead, he sidestepped the gathering to approach the bottommost tier of the wide steps that led up to the castle's southern portcullis. There were two guards posted at this golden gate, and Link already knew that there was no way but by force that he and Midna would be able to pass through.

He did not stop at the bottom of the stairs, instead redirecting his route over to the covered niche where a troupe of musicians had once entertained the people of Castle Town. Now, however, regular citizens and children were gathered here, and Link assumed by their stares into the surrounding crowd of the fountain that they had either been instructed to wait here for their turn or they were the family members of those now collecting water, waiting for their return so that they could join their place among the caravan of evacuees.

Quietly, Link slipped into the shadows, leaning back against the farthest wall at the outer corner so that he could still have eyes on the castle's entryway. He was close enough to the mass to be mistaken as someone patiently waiting for water, but he was far enough away for the people to give him no attention.

He had not noticed that Midna had emerged from his shadow, and when she hovered close, he nearly grabbed his sword in mistaking her as a shadow beast. "To think that Ganondorf was just using Zant to help him return to the world of light," she said, and Link could almost detect a tone of pity for Zant. He had been so blinded by Ganondorf's power that he had not realized how he had merely been a disposable tool. "I guess now we know the true nature of that barrier."

They conferred in low voices on how best to gain entry without anyone's notice, but before they could agree on any one tactic Link felt a slight tug on his cloak. Turning, he found young Soal looking up to him. It was too late for Midna to disappear; the child had already seen her, but he did not seem to be afraid of her dark figure.

"I knew you'd come back," the boy said, his white puppy curled up in his arms. "Some of the other kids heard about you, what you've done for us. But they heard you had gone for good. They said you wouldn't come back, but I told them you would."

Link knelt down to the boy and cupped a hand over his shoulder with a smile.

Soal looked up at Midna. "Who's that?"

Link tossed a glance back at his partner, saw the wary look in her eye. "A friend." He said it while looking at her, and she turned a curious eye on Link before she nodded to the boy. Link turned back to Soal. "She's been helping me."

The boy smiled at her, and she was not sure what to do. She had never previously made small talk with a child, but before their conversation with Soal could deepen beyond simple greetings, they heard his mother calling. Midna sunk away from the torchlight as the mother stepped up to Soal. Link stood and nodded to her in acknowledgement. She smiled, pressed her palm against his breast, and exchanged a few words to thank him for everything he had done. She then said her farewell and retreated into the western streets with an arm around her son.

As the couple passed by the fountain, a man sent a nonchalant glance toward them, returned to his attention to filling his bucket … then glanced up yet again, passing his vision to the columns from whence they had come. Immediately the man recognized the figure of the Hero shadowed by the stones and columns surrounding him. Leaving his bucket on the rim of the fountain, he charged over to where Link stood, taking each step as swiftly yet as casually as he could to avoid the notice of the guards.

Link suddenly felt a tight hand grip his left forearm, and his breath caught through his clenched teeth, for the fingers had grasped him round the wound he had sustained in the Twilight Realm. Pain turned to caution in a split second, however, and his right hand immediately dove for his dagger as he swiveled about to look upon the face of his attacker.

Coming face-to-face with Rusl stopped his hand mid-action. "Where in all of Hyrule have you been?" demanded Rusl, as he noticed the strange imp he had seen only once before hovering nearby.

"It's a long story," answered Link. "When did the evacuation begin?"

"The order came three days ago. The Gorons left yesterday across the eastern bridge, likely headed back into their mountains. Now, the only road open is to the west. The last of the people are leaving now." Rusl released his grip on Link, and realized the flakes of dried blood on his fingers had come from Link's arm. He tossed a glance about, making sure the soldiers were occupied. "Come. Let's continue this elsewhere."

Rusl watched as Midna descended into the shadow of the Hero and then beckoned Link to follow. He did so, stopping only momentarily as Rusl passed by the fountain to pick up his pail of water. Link questioned the blacksmith about what had been happening in the town since his absence, and he answered each query at length.

"The Hylian guards have seen movement within the bailey," he was saying now. "It seems that troops are massing within the walls, and the general of the army is afraid that an attack is imminent … which is why he ordered the evacuation. They've been monitoring the castle grounds from the battlements ever since the barrier appeared, but there was no sign of movement, which is apparently why the general didn't inform the people about what was really happening. There was nothing to report until now." Link listened intently as Rusl spoke, being sure to nod or lock eyes with each fleeing citizen they passed. The people needed hope now more than ever, and with a rumor about that Link had abandoned them, he hoped that some kind of courage would return to their hearts with the reappearance of his face.

Just as Link was about to ask what the Group had been doing to help, they had reached the bar. Epona was tied up outside, and Link raced to her side. Surprise and happiness filled him in seeing his horse, and he patted down her mane, settling her mutual glee in seeing her master alive and well.

"Shad returned with her just two days ago," said Rusl, answering the question in Link's eyes before he could put words to it. "And that's exactly why we've all been worried. He said you disappeared."

Rusl ushered Link inside; Link gave Epona a final caress and entered the bar, where the moans of a half dozen Hylian soldiers greeted him. Link stopped in shock. He gazed about the room. Each of the six tables housed the makeshift bed of a wounded Hylian. Surrounding the tables were several of their comrades and medics who passed from one to the other. Link saw Telma making rounds with food, each graciously taking a drink of water or a helping of hot soup. For those that were more severely injured Telma took time to stop and help them eat.

He saw Ashei standing in the company of two of the standing soldiers, possibly talking about what a poor strategy they had used. Shad sat at the Group's regular table in the corner room with Auru and another few soldiers. Link was not sure what they were discussing, but a map had been stretched over the table.

Link turned to Rusl as he shut the door. "Was there an attack?"

"No."

"Then what?"

"What you see is the aftermath of trying to bring down the barrier," he said grimly. "The general tried for the first two days during the evacuation to bring it down. He wanted to strike down the enemy before they were ready."

"The barrier … did this?"

"That's right, honey." Link watched as Telma approached, setting down an empty tray on the counter of her bar. "Old Auru tried to talk reason into the general, but he wouldn't listen. Just marched his men right up to the wall. Swords, fire, battering ram … you name it, he tried it. And got a lot of his men nearly killed in the process." An afterthought came to her, and she amended her last with a pitiful face that was also filled with anger. "Actually, it may _have_ cost one or two of these boys their lives. Time will tell…."

Link could barely digest this news. _Death from the barrier itself?_ He should have instantly believed the magic of Ganondorf to be capable of such power, but he could not comprehend it and his eyes sought proof. As he surveyed the room, he saw soldiers with what were likely broken ribs and charred arms along with an assortment of other afflictions. He could not believe that there were those with worse injuries. "There must be others. Where are the other soldiers?" asked Link. "Did Doctor Borville-"

Telma snorted angrily. "That old coot? Of course not. First thing the evacuation was announced, he was gone. Coward." She let her fury simmer to a mild bubble before she continued. "The army has, however, taken up his hospital to house those worse off. He left behind most of his medicines and potions, which have brought those fortunate back from the brink. For others … it's not looking too good, honey."

The sight of their pain cut deep within Link. He could not understand the desire to harm someone for no other reason than plainly to cause pain. How was there honor in this? How was there delight to be had in seeing a man suffer?

A memory came to Link. "Why didn't you just tell them about the sewer entrance through your cellar?"

Telma's shoulders slumped as she crossed to the other side of the bar. She brought out a hunk of bread and pushed it toward Link, but he did not touch it. Though he was still hungry, all the news of this evening had quieted his stomach.

"I did, honey," she said, "but when they investigated…. Turns out collapsing the passage was one of the first things those monsters did after they sealed off the castle. There's no way in or out that they've found, and there's nothing can break that barrier." She gathered up dirty dishes from the bar and began washing them out with a bucket already filled with dirty water. Apparently, she was rationing it, for there were about seven other pails behind her filled with clean water. Rusl just then stepped up behind her to add the eighth he had just refilled.

The blacksmith came back around the bar then. "I think it's time you told us _your_ story." He guided him into the other room. Ashei noticed and followed.

"Where have you been? Were you able to collect the last of the Mirror Shards?" When Rusl asked the question all those within the room gave Link their firm attention; even the Hylian guards gave him ear, recognizing him instantly from the stories they had heard from both the Group and the citizens.

"Yes, ole boy, do tell us," said Shad. "The children were awfully worried about you, wondering where you'd gone off to. I had to leave after a few days, unfortunately. I came back to get some more books, you see, for the translations, of course. But … when I arrived, sadly, the town was being evacuated. I couldn't leave again. I feared they wouldn't let me back in if I left. I hope you don't mind that I used your horse."

Everyone except Link sent a glare or an odd glance toward Shad in that moment as he rambled. Link, however, only nodded as he replied. "I promise I will give you every detail once this is over."

After silencing Shad, Link approached the table and leaned against one of the chairs as Rusl and Ashei gathered. Telma, too, abandoned cleaning her dishes to listen to Link's story. He paused for a long moment, trying to find the best words, the simplest and quickest explanation.

"I was able to secure the last of the mirror pieces," said Link, "and with the Mirror reassembled, I entered the Twilight Realm."

Everyone shifted in their seats or where they stood once Link told them this, but it was Auru who appeared the most concerned. "You really did use it…. That accursed Mirror."

"Oh dear," said Shad excitedly. "What was it like?"

With a nudge from Telma, he readjusted himself and apologized for his ebullient tone.

"I met the King of Shadows in battle."

Telma gasped and clutched at her heart as the others looked on in shock. They gazed over Link's battered and dirty appearance; blood and small bruises caked his cheeks, cuts had reopened on his fingers, and his arm bore gashes trying vainly to heal as they were as equally covered in sand as they were of scabs.

"I'm guessing from the fact you stand before us that you defeated him," said Auru.

Link's mouth tightened into a thin line. How would he deliver this news? The Group waited with bated breath, and Link could tell that they realized the reality was not so black and white.

When he spoke it was almost as if he were saying it to himself, trying to figure out how he had gone wrong. "I went into the Twilight Realm believing that it would put an end to this, put an end to everything." Link's eyes were downcast, as if ashamed. Rusl, Auru, and Telma noticed this in him, and each wondered just what it was that Link was trying to tell them. "I thought that Zant and Ganondorf both lay within the Twilight … but I was wrong." He finally found the strength to look them in the eyes. "It was after I fought Zant, and defeated him, that I learned the truth. As long as his master remains alive, he will return from the dead. And now … Ganondorf has been reborn into Hyrule."

He let the truth of his words wash over them before he said anything more. They exchanged glances among themselves, trying to digest the complexity of what Link proposed. Shad had even let out a squealing gasp that he tried to cough away.

Was it true that all this time their greatest enemy lie dormant within their kingdom, waiting for the perfect moment to strike? Link waited for the fear in their eyes to abate, and then he continued.

"Ganondorf has been within the barrier this whole time. He likely put it in place," he explained. "And now, that is where I must go."

They were still trying to register Link's words, their deepest fears creeping into them. Ashei did the best in hiding her alarm, but she was not entirely immune to his tidings. Rusl was the first to speak this time, reminding Link that "Nothing can get through that barrier." His tone switched to something near hysteria, and Link knew it was solely from his concern for Link's wellbeing. "You heard Telma. The guards have tried everything!"

Link met his mentor's gaze. "Not everything."

"You have a way through?" yelped Auru, incredulous.

Link nodded.

"How is that possible?" interjected Shad, somehow immediately transformed into a man of action. "We have been looking through these books for two days, researching all mentions of magic. There's nothing to explain this phenomenon. It's fascinating."

"And the blueprint of the castle," intersected Auru, as Link realized that the map splayed over the tabletop was of Hyrule Castle, "has led us nowhere. There is nothing neither physical nor magical that we can use to break the barrier. What way have you discovered?"

The tight line defining Link's lips turned into a frown as they looked at him. Auru's stare commanded an answer and would be furious, Link knew, if he withheld his method. His hands tightened over the back of the chair, as if trying to wring the right words for the answer to Auru's demand from its wooden frame. He shuffled his feet about one of the back legs of the chair, and he looked down, watched as his boot rubbed against the leg. He could feel their eyes on him, waiting anxiously for his reply, for the hope his news would bring them. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His mind had already been made up. He had made his choice after the death of Zant-even much longer before, he admitted. He could not lead them into the heart of danger.

"I must ask you now … for something none of you have ever wanted to give."

Link gazed up at them, passed his eyes over every visage.

"What is your plan, Link?" asked Auru, the anger in his eyes diminishing slightly from the sincere melody of Link's voice and the promise of being able to help him in the battle to come.

Link clenched his jaw and looked down at the map of Hyrule Castle, reminding himself that it was for their own good. "We must continue the evacuation … get the rest of the people out, and after they have gone … we must seal off the town. No one in. No one out. The soldiers should remain stationed where they are, protecting the boundaries and stationed to defend the castle gates if anything should come through once the barrier has been broken."

Auru and Rusl were nodding by the time Link had paused to take a deep breath.

"There's only a handful of citizens left," informed Rusl. "The evacuation should be done within the next hour … two at most."

"What is it then," asked Auru, "that you would ask of us?"

"We're ready to take the fight to them," said Ashei, a grim thirst for bloodshed staining her features.

Shad nodded as he pushed his glasses up to the bridge of his nose. "Yes, you know you need only ask, ole boy."

Link thought that perhaps it was the revelation that Shad was ready to pick up arms against their enemies that was the depth of the reason he needed to ask this of them. Shad was a man not the least bit formidable in battle and his involvement would likely only risk harm to himself unnecessarily … and risk the lives of others in the process. They were so ready to stand with him. It made what he had to say … what he felt obligated to ask … all the more difficult. This was the one favor that he knew none of them would have ever wanted to gratify.

A weary suspiration preceded his words. "I must ask you…." His gaze fell momentarily, but he recovered soon after to look at them. "To _not_ follow me."

A roar of disagreement and argument exploded within the room, one that the tending medics of the other room could not quiet with their loud requests. Link had expected them to toss his words into debate. Ashei had the same deadly scowl across her face as had lit her eyes the time he had left for Snowpeak without her. She threw curses and insults at him for demeaning her abilities, and Auru and Telma demanded that she lower her tone just as Auru also turned more questions to Link. Rusl calmly argued Link's decision, saying something about him needing their support on the battlefield. Even the Hylian soldiers who had listened to Link's news and strategy hurled harsh words at him. As their fury rose, the Hylians refused to remain in Link's presence, calling back insults to his supposed heroism as they left. Shad was the only one who stayed out of the conversation.

Finally, as Ashei's voice rose and threatened to rattle the plates from their place at the bar, Link could stand no more of it. It was the first time he could remember ever really raising his voice to someone out of anger. "Enough!"

Their voices died out, and they again looked to Link. They were surprised at his tone, at the commanding volume of just one word from this young man.

Link's brows had furrowed. He pushed away from the chair, taking only one step away before turning to face them again. "Each and every one of you embrace me as the chosen hero. You wish me to take a stand, but each time I have made a decision you do not agree with you treat me like a child." These first words were filled to the brim with his full frustration toward them and the way they had treated him through their time together. His tone steadily declined into one of desperation, the need that they fully understand why he could ask something so belittling of them. "In the world Ganondorf would give us, there would be no children. The innocence of every child would be taken."

Everything Link had ever felt during his journey finally came spilling out. "I did not ask for this life or the responsibility to be a Hero. My path was laid out before me. I was born into it. I did not choose it, but … I did accept it. I never understood why the gods chose me for this task. It wasn't long ago when the only world I knew was the woods of Faron." Link looked to Rusl here, as if trying to remember the simple days when his mentor and he would travel into the forest for something as humble as chopping wood or hunting to feed the bellies of the village folk.

His gaze hardened again. "But, no matter how alien it was to me at first … Hyrule is my home. It's as familiar to me as if I have ridden its fields all my life." He could not express the sheer admiration he had for the kingdom of Hyrule, how beautiful it was to him, how precious. His countenance fell into one that gazed inward. "I am no more a hero than the rest of you; you have all helped in saving Hyrule."

He noticed how their eyes perked at his recognition of their skills and their commitment to keeping their homeland safe. Even Ashei seemed to be moved by the words he spoke, though she tried not to show it. "But I know that I alone must face Ganondorf." The thought terrified him; he had admitted the fear to himself, but he could not let it show. His attention turned to his left hand, and he ran his fingers over the glove covering it. "I was given the gift of the goddesses for no less a fate … as was Princess Zelda," he assured them-and himself. He turned his glance back to them. "And so only we have the power to stand up to him."

He stood before them, trying to reassure them that this was the right choice, that this was not something they could do. "You have done more than enough, more than most. Now, I ask of you … I beg of you … give me your trust and your resolve. Allow me to carry out the role of Hero."

Link's words sunk into them, and at first they did not look at each other. Each only had eyes for Link, searching his deep blue eyes intently, and each looked away in their own time to muse over what he had said. After a long pause, they began to cast glances round the table, conferring with each other silently. When at long last they had agreed on how to respond, it was Rusl who had apparently been elected to speak. He stepped around from the opposite side of the table to stand before Link.

"Link, we want you to understand. It has never been that we doubted your abilities." He touched Link's forearm. "What I mean to say is… It has been our deepest honor to serve you in your quest. Anything we did … any disagreement we voiced … it was done out of respect."

"I…" stammered Link. He gazed upon his old mentor for a moment as if looking at him for the first time. He had always thought their unwillingness to let him venture alone, their disapproval at some of his methods, to be merely some reluctance at accepting someone so young to be someone so competent, so important.

"Link, I have watched over you like a son for seventeen years. The very moment I saw the mark on your hand when I found you as a babe, I knew what one day might lie before you. I tried to prepare you as best I could, and I have watched you mature into a man, nay, a Hero. On this eve of our final battle, you must know how very proud of you I am." Link's nerves were awash with such emotion that he could hardly understand the tides that flowed through them in that moment. His mind felt dizzy suddenly, and he realized he had never been more proud, more thankful, that it had been Rusl who had reared him.

Rusl's eyes remained soft as his next words rose in his throat. He took the time to enunciate every word slowly and precisely, giving such life to them as Link had never heard from a human voice. "A hero is not defined only in battle. They also inspire. They bring hope of a new horizon. They return faith to faithless. You are a hero in every way. The courage of your heart is unmatched." Rusl smiled, and Link saw his surrogate father shed a tear for the first time, and he felt the same sensation tug at his own eyelids, but he held back the rain. "So, Link, I ask you … I beg you … let us stand together, for though you are the hero of legend … heroes need not stand alone."

The members of the Group behind them all turned to look at one another again and they smiled and nodded to each other. None of them could have said anything better.

Rusl's speech moved Link, and he found honor in what he had said, felt his words rattle him to his very core. He took a deep breath that wavered behind his lips. Before his emotions betrayed his resolve, Link nodded. He had only meant the gesture as thanks to the blacksmith for his kind words, but he was also fully aware that Rusl would mistake it as acquiescence to his terms. Link busied himself with looking down at his left forearm as his right hand played with the frayed strips of his sleeve. He listened to the cheerful voices of the Group as they rallied their support in what they had believed to be Link's surrender.

The blacksmith patted Link's shoulder as if to commemorate their compromise, and the Group went to work discussing the strategy they would need to use once inside the castle walls, the details of which they graciously left to Link. Link did not interject his opinion in the matter of how best to storm the castle because he knew that such discussion would be futile. They asked of his opinion, but Link shrank from their side by politely indicating how hungry he was. Further argument about going into the castle alone would prove just as pointless, for in their minds, the discussion was over. He respected how loyal they were, how selfless they were. But they were wrong. He would not lead them beyond the barrier, and he was fixed on that. Opening the armies of Hyrule into the inner sanctum of the kingdom's most feared enemy would do nothing but bring more needless death.

He knew what he needed to do. Now, all that was left for him to do was continue the ruse that he was in accordance with this new plan. He did not like to lie, but this was something he had to do in order to save lives, which was his ultimate mission as the hero chosen by the gods.

Rusl ushered Link away from the Group then, and Telma guided him over to the bar. He sat at a stool and waited in silence as she prepared him a hot meal. His stomach lurched, thankful that its master had finally allowed it the pleasure of tasting food once more. As he sat there, forearms lying across the counter, he realized how tired he was. Telma served up a bowl of steaming stew and bread to dunk in the broth. As he gratefully scooped one spoonful after the other into his mouth, she poured him both a glass of hot milk and cold water, allowing him the choice of drink to soothe his palate.

With the way she continued passing looks toward the Group, he knew they had silently elected her to be the one to watch over Link … and, more importantly, the exits.

After he finished the meal, he thanked Telma, took up the mug of hot milk, and stepped over to the hearth on the far side of the room. He could feel the eyes of the Group and the Hylian soldiers on him as he unstrapped his scabbard and shield and leaned them against the wall. Next, he removed the bow and quiver and set them gently on the floor before them. After giving a weary stretch, he pulled a chair up to the hearth and sat down, extending the heels of his feet to rest upon a group of stones on the side of the hearth that jutted out more than the rest.

As Link watched the dancing flames within, his eyes began to droop. He knew what he must do, but he could not yet act. He would have to continue his deception until the perfect opportunity presented itself. He knew now was no time to escape their eyes, especially since he wanted to be assured that all the citizens had vacated and would not come to harm with the breaking of the barrier. Just as they would be free to enter once it had been removed, the enemy force lying in wait would also then be able to descend upon the streets of Castle Town.

Needless to say, there was time for sleep, and Link grabbed it by the reins.


	44. Chapter 40 Part 2

**Chapter 40: Through the Barrier PART 2**

A soft caress awoke Link to the night; he had been so tired that he could have sworn he had just fallen asleep. He blinked back the tiredness and focused on the mug he still clasped in his lap. The milk had not yet gone completely cold, so his intuition likely proved true, that he had not slept for long. He pulled his feet down from their perch and pulled himself up straighter in his chair, looking up to see that it was Rusl who had stirred him from his rest.

"The evacuation is nearly complete. It will be time to move soon," he informed. He had adorned his full armor, the attire Link had seen him wear when first meeting the Group.

Link heaved a deep breath, pushing out the remainder of his sleep. He gathered himself up from his seat, set his mug down on the mantel, and started for his gear.

"Wait, Link," said Rusl, and Link turned a curious eye to him. "I have something to show you first."

Interested but a little confused, Link followed him as he led the way upstairs. Link tossed a glance toward the other room as they went and realized that Auru and Ashei were missing from the bar. He asked their whereabouts of Rusl as they made their way down the creaking floorboards of the upstairs hallway.

"Auru and Ashei went to deliver your message," he said.

"Message?"

"That you will bring down the barrier once the citizens are evacuated." Link nodded at the memory as the blacksmith continued, "And once Auru has the general's assurances to work with us, he will return while Ashei stays behind to make sure the general keeps his word." He winked back at Link at the last part, and Link knew that if anyone could keep a man like this general in line it would be the very abrasive Ashei.

Behind Rusl, Link stepped into the room in which he had spent several occasions resting and recuperating after hard journeys. The room looked very much the same, save for one addition. Rusl brought fire to the few sconces on the walls so that Link could see better. Distributed over a figure before the window was a collection of fine, golden armor. It was an ornate design, but the pieces that made up its grandeur were sparse, as if the suit had only been halfway completed. He looked to Rusl, a question in his eyes.

The older man smiled, with arms crossed. "A blacksmith doesn't only make weapons." He watched as Link turned back to the armor and took a few steps forward to touch the opal jewel embossed in the breastplate. "It's light as a quill, but stronger than most steel."

Link ran his fingers over the designs of the plate of armor, allowed his fingers to follow the curls and loops and turns of their image. Staring at the armor, he realized again that the battle ahead may yet prove to be the last time he took up arms. His lips gathered in tight consideration. Rusl stepped up to him after the long silence and suggested he try it on. Link accepted, and as Rusl went about removing the pieces from the figure, he directed Link to a basin of water set atop the dresser. Link graciously used the cloth provided to cleanse his face of the blood that had dried there from his encounter with the twilit keese. Though the water was barely warm, just the touch of the liquid against his skin revitalized him, perhaps even more so than his nap had.

Once Link had washed as best he could, he untied his cloak and through it up over the mirror at the dresser. Rusl then set about fastening the beautifully crafted breastplate over his chest. After, Rusl worked to tighten the other pieces against his body. He strapped on pauldrons, to protect his upper arms and shoulders; next were delicately designed vambraces, of which Link only accepted one to replace the hard leather on his left arm. His right arm he wished to remain unguarded for better use of his shield. After his upper body had been protected, Rusl went to work with lacing a golden greave and solaret against each of his boots. Their whitened gold embellishments made the metal shine. Lastly, were poleynes that rested perfectly over his knees.

When Rusl had finished, Link looked himself over, shifting his weight this way and that and bending his torso and arms. He found the armor was indeed light and surprisingly easy to move in given that the pauldrons made his shoulders seem much broader. He made only one adjustment, pulling the burgundy straps of his vambrace tighter against his forearm. Rusl yanked on his left pauldron at the armpit as if to give his seal of approval that the armor suited him perfectly. He passed Link an admiring grin.

"Well, it's quite modest, but it should do the trick," they heard from behind them. Spinning to meet the voice, they saw Midna floating in midair with a set of fingers stroking her chin, considering.

Link was not sure whether she was poking fun at the richness of its golden shine and embellishments or bringing light to the fact his new armor looked incomplete as it barely covered him, but it brought a smile to his face. He was relieved to know that even through the recent pain and sorrows she had been forced to endure, she had not lost her fiery spunk.

Rusl exchanged his glance between the two of them, watching how they seemed to converse without words. He could see the emotion within each of them, and he finally understood the complexity of their kinship in those moments. Whatever hardships they had faced before and after he had first met the impish creature, it was clear that their time together had solidified a great and unbreakable bond.

They heard a creak and click from downstairs and then the rustling of voices, and they sensed Auru's return. Rusl excused himself from the room and made his way downstairs. Link turned to clutch his cloak but paused momentarily to look over his body in the mirror. He shook loose of his thoughts then, thoughts of bitter finality, and swept the mantle back over his shoulders as he followed after the blacksmith.

When Link stopped at the final step, looking into the bar past Telma's counter to the right, silence overtook the room. Auru indeed had returned and had been talking with Rusl and Telma before he heard the squeaking of the stairs. He looked over Link's new appearance with a grim yet supportive expression. Then their eyes met.

It was time.

===============

As a unit the four of them walked up the southern thoroughfare of Castle Town. Rusl and Auru led the way, both holding fast to the weapons sheathed at their sides. Link stepped along in their wake with Shad to his left. He tossed a quiet glance at the bookworm to find him adjusting the belt that hung awkwardly against his hip. This sight only reinforced the decision Link had made. If this man were to enter battle, there was no telling in how many pieces he would exit.

Link turned his eyes back to the road, his mind working on how to escape his entourage. Yet, as they poured into the main plaza, there was still no avenue to which Link could turn. As they came upon the guards at the castle's main portcullis, Link noticed that the number of soldiers had multiplied with the absence of the population.

They made their way up the tiered stones to reach the open gate hanging loosely on its hinges above the archway. A soldier tipped his spear toward them, halting them in their tracks. "All entry is strictly prohibited right now. I must ask you to go back!"

Auru and Rusl explained the situation, gesturing to Link as the young warrior looked beyond the hindrance. He took in everything and analyzed the resources available to him. His options were thinning and time was running out to think up a plan that would bar them entrance to the castle while still allowing himself to progress. His eyes darted from the gates to the inner rows of pillars which ascended along with the inclining stone passage, ending in yet another gate house. He turned to the soldiers who stood among tools that had been broken in the attempts to break through the barrier by conventional means.

The guard finally allowed their admittance and shouted behind him, alerting a tall figure inside. This was the man of whom the Group had spoken, the general of the princess's army. Helmet resting under an armpit, he turned his brown-bearded, square-jawed face to them. His dark, judging eyes instantly befell Link as the Group approached. Ashei appeared from behind the general and gave a nod to Auru that she had held up her end. Link's eyes darted across the countless axes, spears, and swords that littered the ground amongst sporadic blotches of red. Farther ahead, through the open double-doors of the gate house that led to the bridge bearing the foundation of the barrier, he spotted the battering ram Telma had mentioned. Ruins of a trebuchet lay scattered around it.

The general eyed Link suspiciously as Auru introduced Link, who offered a nod of greeting. The general surveyed the young hero for a long moment before remarking gruffly, "So, you're the one they tell me has a way through the barrier." He pursed his lips. "You don't look like much." Link waited, could see the general's mind working as he stared into his fierce sapphire eyes. His tone altered only slightly. "But if the rumors I've heard are true, about your deeds of helping the people of Hyrule, then I will permit you to pass."

Link saw the man's eyes flash behind him, and he knew he now looked at the glistening blue hilt of the legendary Master Sword. If he were a true general of this castle then Link knew that he would have been privy to the knowledge of the myth from which the great sword had stemmed. Perhaps it was from that final thought that Link thanked him.

He then requested the general and the few soldiers walking and standing guard in the passage to move beyond the gates into the square. Link had been scheming during their entire exchange, and he now had a workable strategy. Although, not only did he ask this of them to gain some leverage between them and his entrance into the castle, he also genuinely feared for their safety. Midna had told him that she could use her magic to crack through the barrier, but they were unsure what effect it would have on the surrounding area … and so many had been injured already. At their skeptical looks, Link voiced this concern to validate his request. They agreed … grudgingly.

The general ordered his men back into the square and called his archers to attention on the battlement above to prepare for any attack forthwith. One-by-one the Group left his side, and Link refortified his composure as they each looked at him in turn. Auru was the last to depart his company, but a sudden, lingering curiosity rose in Link, and he called back to him. "Auru?"

The older man turned to Link, waiting for him to speak the question in his eyes.

"The boy from your story…. The one from before…. What became of him?" Link wanted, needed, to know that the old hero had lived a good life, that all the sacrifices he had made in his former life had done right by the world.

Auru smiled and approached Link again. "It's hard to say." He dug through the myth in his mind. "Some say … he went on to live out his days in Hyrule Castle as a knight. Others believe he settled down, had a family; others still, say that he left Hyrule, in search of adventure, never to return to his birth land."

Link took those thoughts within him and imagined each scenario as if it were his life … his ending. Auru as much guessed his spiral of thought and placed a palm over the shoulder of his pauldron. "This is not where your story will end." With that, he turned and left Link, the chosen hero, to bring down the barrier.

The youth passed his gaze over the many faces surveying the scene, the men bunched around the fountain-keeping a safe distance from the barrier-and the soldiers with arrows nocked and ready to fly atop the battlements.

Link did not need to call for Midna; she knew that her moment had come. She ascended from his shadow, meeting an array of surprised and fearful gasps from those behind. Perhaps it was that Link did not flinch at the creature's sudden appearance or that he accepted her casual pat on the shoulder without a word that the soldiers behind relaxed their tense muscles.

Midna looked back at all the stares of wonderment and fear and for a blind moment her rage returned. She knew they thought her a monster, a dark shadow like those that had sent their world spiraling into a constant night. Her hatred for Zant and Ganondorf returned. Had it not been for them, she would not have held the guise of such a monster at all. Had it not been for their evil, the people of the light would have regarded her as a threat least of all.

She turned her crimson eye from them and gazed up at the barrier that held the castle prisoner. Hovering a few heads above Link, she took in the glaring majesty of the giant shell. Its mass rattled as its energy radiated, its golden yellows wavering with blackened areas that pulsated through its structure like passing clouds. There were patterns etched along every inch and corner of the barrier as if it were a gigantic jigsaw puzzle that had been put together improperly. Hyrule Castle was nothing but a black silhouette within its grandeur.

Ripping her eyes from its mass, she cascaded down from her niche in the sky and landed on her small feet before the double-doors that lay between them and the bridge holding the boundary of the magical wall. It surprised her how easy it was, calling on the full magic of her tribe. In the instant she concentrated on the task she wished to perform, the Fused Shadows appeared from the corner of her dimension and whirled about her, almost lifelike … almost menacing. She watched in awe momentarily as she felt the power consuming her nerves, breathing new life into her as they twirled about her. The power rose within her, and it felt both shocking and amazing in the same moment.

Then, as if with a mind of their own, the Fused Shadows clapped together over her body, covering everything but her dangling limbs. Link almost ran to her when she gasped and flung her arms out in surprise. When her body immediately calmed, arms once more resting peacefully at her sides, he resisted the urge.

The rattling of the barrier before them then was nothing compared to the deep rumbling coursing from Midna's imprisoned body. The four separate pieces shook and rocked in place, and a grating noise much like that of nails across polished stone pierced the air. Their broken edges were still quite distinguishable as their energy built and built, and the night seemed drained of all color save a deep reddish yellow glaring down from the clouds blotting the heavens.

Link had not known what to expect, and from the flexing of Midna's fingers … neither had she. He knew that the use of the magic drained her, perhaps even hurt her, but he could do nothing to stop it. Even if he needed to, he was not sure what he could do.

He watched on as Midna's body then flung away from the stones. She was tossed roughly into a pillar on the right by the invisible strings of the magic as if a puppet. She yelped at the pain of the hit, and Link's hands fisted involuntarily, knuckles white as snow. He was forced to bear witness to the cruelty of the magic, hurling her left into the wall of the passage and then upward against the opposite side again. She screamed painful groans each time her body slammed into the solid stones, until she was finally flung over the right side of the wall.

Link could hear the fearful gasps behind him, could feel the anxiety return to each and every body that looked on, but Link held his ground. If he panicked, so would the mob, and at that point, he would be unable to dispel their fright.

A quiet moment lingered, one that teased the Hylian soldiers and constricted their minds so tightly with fear that half of the soldiers were either frozen or running before Midna even made her reappearance. The sounds that then licked the air refreshed that fear. A watery moan-like the shifting sands of nightmares-and the crashing force of the invisible waves boomed and pulsed against their ears, threatening to vibrate their hearing so harshly that deafness would surely handicap them for the rest of their lives.

The ground shook beneath them and the very stones around them threatened to jostle free. That was when the deep moans of the magical tides burst forth and rose from beyond the east side wall where Midna had last been hurled. A giant golden hand clapped onto the wall, the glimmering, watery surface of its arm descending into peridot greens and deep blacks. Its fingers tightened around the stones it found there as if sucking at them to stay afloat. Another great hand arose and latched on, and with that the headpiece of the Fused Shadows climbed above the wall to greet the countless frozen faces of the Hylians. The soldiers' mouths hung wide, staring in awe at the creature before them, their fear at such magnitude that they each seemed to have been crystalized where they stood.

The booming figure of the new Midna, the shadow monster of the Interlopers' magic, wailed as it drew up the remainder of its appendages to bring it to its full height on its stone perch. Five additional limbs grew out from its massive body, and after steadying itself, it pushed off the stones, launching at impossible speed toward the barrier.

It landed against the deadly slope of the yellow wall, and struggled only momentarily to gain firm footholds against the magic. Next moment, it reached back with its rightmost hand, its limb coiling round and round until a great javelin manifested within its grasp. Its sparkling construction made it appear that the shadow monster had plucked a bolt of lightning from the sky ready to drench the land with its approaching storm.

After steadying itself with the added weight, the monster reared its giant hand back, as the edges of the Fused Shadows crudely split open to let loose a deep bellow. With great and powerful force, it stabbed the spear into the barrier.

Link watched from below as a blinding ray of white and golden light blasted into the sky from the crack in the surface of the barrier. The crack widened and popped and rumbled as it deepened throughout the reflective surface. He and the Hylians behind him threw up their arms to shield their eyes from the light enveloping the night sky. It was the brightest, most powerful, light Link had ever seen, and it stretched the length of the barrier. As the crack webbed across it, light rays of equal magnitude bolted outward. The combined light threw away the night as if a second sun, but as it radiated through the sky, shattering the barrier to pieces, Link blinked through its brilliance to see the monster diminishing into a familiar, little black body.

Midna fell like a deadweight through the sky, tumbling down, down, down.

Link threw himself forward.

Moments later, when the light had finally receded, the Hylians all cheered. The barrier stood no longer. Rusl and the rest of the group shouted in glee.

Midna groaned.

Blinking, she struggled to open her eyes. She felt weightless still, but she did not understand where she was. Another light groan escaped her lips as she lay there, wondering if she had managed to break the barrier. As her senses gathered, she moaned at the pain and the numb weakness that infested her body.

She felt warmth embracing her.

Her eye took a moment to focus when she looked up and found Link's eyes very close and staring down at her. A warm smile adorned his lips, and Midna realized that he was holding her in his arms. Her head leaned up against his right shoulder, and she felt his hands cuddling her close against him. The sudden closeness did not startle her; somehow, it felt like the most natural thing, for she could not remember a life before Link. She was too weak to smile in return, her lips fading into a faint and thoughtful line. He cocked his head slightly as his smile reduced to a small grin.

Before Midna had regained consciousness, Link had stood with bated breath. His heart felt heavy when she had lain unresponsive in his arms. He had readjusted her in his grasp, cradling her like a child, his strong, protective arms encircling her. He had felt the faint pulse of her heart beating through his fingers and waited for her senses to return-willed her to wake up. Link had feared the monster-the wicked beast her tribe's power had molded her into. _This_ was Midna, this strange little imp with glowing green designs painted across her smooth skin. He could not imagine her any other way, and he did not want to. _This_ was his Midna, and when her muscles had twitched and her breath caught in a groan, Link had nearly shed a tear from the weight of his happiness. He had realized his mouth hung open with his smile when her red eye, her beautiful red eye, focused on him. Link had seen the tugging of her lips in her attempt to smile, but she had only managed a gentle line as she relaxed in his arms. His smile had faded to a soft grin.

Their eyes said everything in that moment. They did not need words to express the warmth they felt inside.

Whatever happened … they had each other.

Link was the first to look away, casting his gaze up to the now accessible castle, and Midna followed his gaze as her lips parted in shock and delight that she had succeeded. The castle and their final confrontation beckoned, but first….

Link turned about to face the open gate of the portcullis. The Hylians were still frozen in awe of the barrier's destruction, and those that were capable of movement, clapped each other's shoulders and pounded their fists into the air in cheer. Link looked between them and Midna, and she understood the frown that stretched even into his eyes.

He adjusted Midna in his arms-so that he would be able to freely move his left without jeopardizing her cradle-and then approached the archway. He paused there a moment, watching all the smiling and confident faces that stared back at him. Even the general seemed impressed.

As Link gazed across each of them, he etched their happy faces into his brain. This was the way he wanted to remember them … as he said a silent and painful goodbye.

In that instant Link found the eyes of Rusl, who also had his sights locked on the young Hero. It was in that silence that the blacksmith's eyes widened and the smile faded from his lips. Link's eyes betrayed him, giving light to the ruse he had been playing all along.

Link was already slicing through the rope attached to the counterweight for the gate as Rusl started his sprint, and by the time the golden metal boomed against the ground, the blacksmith could only grab onto the bars and yank to no avail. Link had taken a few steps back at this point, watching painfully as the man who had raised him pulled and banged on the bars that separated them. A look of betrayal showered Rusl's features in that moment, and it was all Link could do to keep from breaking down at the tears welling in his mentor's eyes.

"Link…. Why-What are you doing?" he begged.

Link clenched and relaxed his jaw before answering. "I am giving Hyrule back to its people … and its princess."

By this time the rest of the Group had approached the gates, and the Hylians and their general were on their way.

Rusl pleaded. "I have no doubt that you have the courage to stand against him, but Link-"

The Hero cut him off. Link said the words slowly, meaning every word as his eyes grew vacant and yet strong in the same instant. "If my single life can save the lives of thousands…." He swallowed hard. "Then I will gladly sacrifice it."

Link took a few more steps away and glanced to Midna, who, by his command, used what little strength she had to strike the gate with her magic. Her power helped to stabilize the hinges so that the soldiers would find it harder to lift, but Link knew that Midna was considerably weak, and the magic would not hold for long. He had to see to his mission before they had time to break through his defenses … or find another way around.

He turned his back on them, Rusl calling in desperation for him not to go without them. But Link passed through the double-doors of the second gatehouse, pushed and barred them shut, and asked Midna for the last of her strength to magick its locks as well.

They faced the castle together, looking up at its towering majesty once more. A darkness crept within them as rain began to fall, a jolt of lightning flashing in the sky behind the castle. Somewhere deep within the confines of its stone walls they would find the mastermind behind the evil which had crept over Hyrule. Midna, however, was too frail at the moment to face any threat, and after they agreed, she disintegrated into the shade beneath him to rest and regain her energy.

Standing alone, Link thought it was perhaps just his nerves, but he had the distinct sense that the eyes of Ganondorf were upon him.

===============

Lightning flashed and silhouetted his dark frame. Already he stood within the shadows of the night, but with the clapping thunder of the sky above his tall stature grew even more foreboding. He felt a power stir within him as the storms raged on in the heavens, as if the skies themselves held objection over his reign. Yet, it was not protest he saw deep within the clouds but a reflection of his anger, his hatred, a mirror that revealed the sheer and raw power he held.

The booming skies echoed the dreams of his heart.

He flexed his fingers tighter over the railing of the balcony, his right fist tensing with the energy coursing through his veins. The power sustained him, but it also left him thirsty for more, a hunger so deep, so infinite, that nothing he had could quell it.

And he loved this feeling.

When the barrier had broken into a thousand shards of light, he had stepped out onto the balcony outside the castle's throne room to watch in silence as the light slowly faded to reveal unguarded stormy skies once more. The breaking of the barrier had not angered him. It had filled him with pleasure, the deep hunger within him spiking as he felt the power of his being radiate from his right hand.

The boy was close. He had heard the whispers on the tongues of the soldiers he had slaughtered who had unfortunately caught themselves within the confines of the castle when he had seized control. Whispers of the Hero, a young man from the forests of Ordon whom his twilit slave had mentioned.

Mention of this Hero brought an ancient memory back to him. The memory of a small boy who had swayed the king of old that he was in some sense evil. That boy had foiled his plans and he had never understood how. He had stood within the gates of the Hyrule of Old with the perfect ruse of pledging fealty; the grand city had been blind to his hunger and his wrath. There was a time he had stood before the Temple of Time … on the brink of the Sacred Realm as his ultimate prize waited in silence. The Triforce. With a swift hand he would have taken that which he had every right to behold. But the boy….

He remembered the rage and the way his blood had boiled as he had stood chained before the sages. He could recall in every gritty detail the way their hollow eyes had judged him. The screaming hiss he had unleashed in the moment before his death had cursed them and the gods they served. Then had come the cold, harsh sting of their light, which had pierced his very heart and soul and sapped him of all life.

But … his hatred for them…. His absolute resentment for their power…. The cruel sentencing that had left him to be executed surrounded by the very sands of his homeland….

His hatred had revived him, and he had found new power, one he had unleashed without at first having full control of its overwhelming effects. With a single thought, he had envisioned the sages mutilated, and in the next instant, he had had the strength of a god, snapping his restraints as if they were straw, ripping the Sage-Blade from his chest, and murdering a sage with one lunge of a fist.

Yet, with all that power, they had still found a way to deny him. Torn from the world of light, he had existed without form for many long years until he had discovered his perfect opportunity, the perfect vessel for his power. With the help of the pitiful being of the Twilight, he had been reborn unto this realm, and now, he could unleash the crushing fist of his power once again. Hyrule … its princess … its people would feel his wrath, his ultimate hatred. He would punish them for the crimes committed by their ancestors and claim everything that should have been his so long ago.

Already, he had obtained the princess, bearer of a third of the goddesses' power, and with the coming of this forest boy-this puny Hero-he would at last be able to assemble the Triforce. With it, he would have his one true wish, his desire, come to fruition.

All he need do was kill the boy.

His square jaw coiled into a grin. The hour of his triumph was at hand.

===============

Link crossed the bridge over the moat to come to the barbican sealing off the castle. When he pushed open the left door of the entrance carved ornately with the royal family crest, the castle bailey greeted him in dull colors. He took in the details in mere seconds, but the majesty of it seemed to overtake his senses. The fine stone paths leading up to the grand entrance of the castle and forking off to the left and right courtyards were overgrown with moist grass. A grand statue rose before him, constructed of a long silver pole capped with a single, golden triangle. Surrounding the central pole were two other silver rods that twisted about to rise forth in a helix pattern, only to part at the top, each spreading outward like wings bearing the power of the gods.

He could not help a gaze up at the castle, its towers and pinnacles looming upward, the central castle connected at various angles to the outer parapets and flanking and corner towers via several catwalks and grand, swooping flying buttresses. Dark blue stones topped the roofs of each spire and building. One could get tangled in just its ornate image.

Link drew his stare from the castle and noticed that two identical statues as the one before him stood toward the back of the west- and eastward courtyards. Glancing in these directions pulled him back to the realization that the forces of his enemy had without doubt seen the fall of the barrier. He suddenly became aware that the army of his enemy had turned the bailey into an encampment. Fires and torches lit the area, and Link could see where each troop had tucked in and declared claim over a spot in the grasses.

The soldiers were bulblins and bokoblins-with a few kargarok birds of prey perched or flying in circles above-and most still seemed dazed from the light that had overtaken the sky only minutes ago. It was not long before they took notice that the bailey door had been opened, and Link only just leapt out of the way of their vision, thankful that it was by the aid of the night shadows that had kept him shielded completely.

Crouching in the shadows to the left behind a hedgerow, he watched as bulblin archers nocked their arrows in preparation for an attack as two bokoblins slowly crept up to the open door. One stuck its purple head into the crack and saw no sign of any intruders. Shrugging and signaling an all-clear to the archers, the bokoblins pushed the door shut once more and took the time to set its accompanying wooden crossbar into the slots. Link heard them mumbling explanations, hearing the words "wind" and "rumbles" tossed back and forth.

Though it seemed the enemy force had remained ignorant to his presence, he did not for one moment assume that they had not been put on alert. He would rather overestimate a foe rather than stake his life on their ignorance. The troops littered the grounds so densely that passage to the entry doors would prove beyond impossible without first being seen and surrounded by the massive hordes. Even if he managed a miracle in reaching the doors, they had been chained shut by massive links that joined together in a lock that hung just above the door handles.

He would need to find an alternate route into the castle.

Link moved left as he remained in a crouch and kept to the greenery, the shadows of the row of trees alongside the hedges also helping to blanket him from the eyes of anything that moved. When he had at last come to the westward wall of the main courtyard, the number of soldiers had decreased to a sporadic few, and two bokoblins guarded the doors leading into the grounds beyond.

Quietly, Link approached them. He drew his dagger and snuck up behind the first bokoblin carefully. Once he had the proper angle, he flew at the bokoblin, threw a hand around its face and yanked. In an instant it fell with a broken neck, and its partner noticed the appearance of the assassin immediately. Prepared for this, however, Link launched himself onto the soldier, one hand covering its mouth, while impaling the dagger through its heart with the other. The force of the impact of Link's body had caused them to stumble back into the wall, but once Link knew his enemy was dead, he tossed the body to the ground, hiding it in the shadows. He belted the knife once more, slid the other limp body from sight, and then silently slipped through the doors.

In the western courtyard, more troops littered the area. Still, there were too many to take on, and so Link dove to the right where the tall grasses and the fence lines would help conceal him. Adding to his fortune was the fact that a few pairs of bokoblins were sparring with each other. The noise of their swords screeching as they attacked completely masked the sound of his squishing footsteps. He tossed ever watchful glances toward them as he crept and was disturbed at the way they drilled. Unlike the way Rusl had trained Link-and how every Hylian soldier was trained, he was sure-these monsters did not pull their attacks if their partner failed to parry or dodge. They were doomed to suffer the consequences of their novice skills.

Link managed to bypass them, all the while searching the periphery of the castle for any indication of another way in. Not even the stone walls were climbable, and even if they had been Link was not sure he would have surrendered to that avenue. The chance of falling and the chance of being spotted by the troops would have made such a choice suicide.

There had to be another way in, he thought, and he continued along, shielded by the shadows of the storm clouds, but also somewhat exposed when lightning flashed in the sky.

When he reached an open gate, he first looked around the walls inside. This area was square in formation and it looked as if it were a training ground. If that were the case, he wondered why the bokoblins had not chosen to practice their techniques in here. Of course, however, he could not complain, for the area appeared empty and he saw that as a good sign.

He darted into the training ground, at last free of the anxiety of being caught by Ganondorf's minions. He took the reprieve for what it was worth, for if this proved to be a dead end, he would have to descend once more into the hordes. And even if he did manage to find some means of accessing the castle alternately, he knew it would not be long before he faced more foes, and not all of them would be those he could as easily circumvent.

Stretching slightly from slouching for so long, Link went to work feeling along the walls of the castle. He hoped to find a hidden passage somewhere or perhaps a postern gate, for it seemed logical that a castle would have secret passages for emergencies like these to usher the royal family away from danger. At that he was reminded the sewer. _That_ was the secret passage, and he thought that surely his efforts were in vain and that there would be no other path but the front door.

Almost desperate to avoid the onslaught of the horde, Link glanced up, scrutinized the stones, and he deliberated over just how difficult it would be to scale the wall. He ran his left hand over a few stones, thinking.

Then a giant axe came crashing into the stones only inches from his fingers. Immediately on guard, Link twirled on his heel to come face-to-face with a green giant. Its small beady eyes glared into Link, glowing red against the backdrop of the raging storm. One of the horns protruding from the top of its head had been hewn in half. Silver vambraces covered its muscular arms, and its large belly folded over a loincloth with light armor and sandals protecting its soles.

Then Link noticed the deep scar along its right armpit, and the impossible became real. It was the same King Bulblin who had kidnapped his friends, who he had sent spiraling from Hyrule's two highest bridges. Link had never expected to see this monstrous warrior again, and seeing it alive and breathing defied all logic. Its eyes seemed heavy yet fierce as they glared down the small Hylian.

Link felt the rage rebuilding within him, a fury he had thought quenched. Yet, it had been a rage satiated from vengeance. With the seeming rebirth of this king again and again, so did his anger fester and brood anew each time. Link gritted his teeth. The sight of this creature was like a bad dream that visited on his darkest and happiest days. This ogre had a quality about it that sucked all reason from the youth of Ordon. The blinding anger had nearly consumed Link on the fields of Eldin all those many weeks ago. Now, more than ever, he just wished he could hang those feelings on the wind to fly away and scatter in the rain.

He had to face the rage again and end this once and for all if he were to ever be free of it.

King Bulblin, the commander of the bulblin and bokoblin army, yanked on its weapon and unsheathed it from the stone just as Link drew his sword. Link rolled to the side to dodge the axe as the ogre pulled it away from the wall in a wide, sweeping motion. The bulk of the creature plagued its movements with slow reaction time, as Link learned with the way it swiveled its mass around to face him. The agile Hylian backed away from his foe, making the ogre ease away from the wall with sluggish footsteps. Link only hoped that if the bokoblins nearby heard the noise of their duel they would pass it off as just another sparring match.

The ogre heaved up its axe, which gave Link fair warning that another attack was coming. Its swing came so slowly that Link had more than enough time to dodge it as it thundered into the ground the same time that lightning's echo reverberated across the grounds. Link used this opportunity to run up the length of the pole of the axe to strike at the monster's head, but its reflexes and strength surprised Link by tossing him up and over his target instead.

Link somersaulted in midair to readjust his body to land firmly on his feet. Then the ogre flung itself toward him with a mighty spin of its body, an attack that reminded Link of Zant's final assault. His new opponent, however, did not waste all its energy on one attack, and after it realized it had no effect on its nimble prey it suspended the attack, drawing the axe in close once more. The Hylian was quick to respond, hoping to land a strike past its defensive stance, but the ogre used his axe like a bo staff to parry each thrust or slice in turn.

The bulblin king shoved against one of Link's strikes and managed to force him backward and unbalance him slightly. It took this opportunity to thrash down with its rusted blade, but Link was quick to regain his footing. Learning from his failed attempt of running up the axe, Link instead rolled around to the ogre's exposed side while its weapon lay imbedded within the earth.

He popped up from his roll like a spring and drew his blade up across the ogre's back. Dark blood spilled from its pierced flesh, and it growled in a low whine. It was able to pivot around to defend against Link before any further damage was done. Link's attacks again met the staff of its weapon.

"Enough," boomed its deep, guttural voice, and Link took several cautionary steps away from his enemy. Link's inner demons, his hatred for this creature begged to deal the ending blow, but he shook away the murderous thought … with some effort. Wary and on guard, Link remained at a distance, afraid of what his burning thirst for vengeance might lead him to do. Every bone in his body wanted this to end, this dance they had been dancing since the inception of Link's journey. Link had grown over the course of his travels and wanted to see reason, but if this proved to be some kind of ruse, Link would be ready to defend himself.

True to its tone, King Bulblin relaxed its posture. "I follow the strongest side," it bellowed. "That is all I have ever known."

It let out a curious low growl and a gate opened on the far side of the training area that Link had not been able to see through the haze of the stormy air. From within its confines rode three giant boars. One's saddle bore no rider, but the other two each held two bulblin archers. Though their bows were shouldered as they approached, Link readied his saber.

The commander held up a pleading hand. "They mean no harm. They ride with me. I ride with the strongest; I ride with you, little Hylian."

Link's eyes darted from one figure to the next, sure that this was some kind of deception, but his instincts trusted the beat of the ogre's words, and he relaxed his posture. Somehow, even with everything they had been through, the vicious battles they had fought, they had come to see each other as equals. It had done the bidding of its master, and it had come to see the error of its path.

The Hylian could finally lay his rage to rest. He no longer needed anger as his ally with this ogre. It had done evil, it had killed and pillaged, but Link knew in his heart that all life was precious and that evil could sometimes be redeemed.

He cocked his head as an idea came to him then. Link would test its newfound honor, but before he made his request, Link took another critical look across the ogre and its cohorts before making the decision if he could truly entrust them with what he had in mind.

===============

When Link had prepared for his journey into the castle, he had equipped only those items which he was sure he might need to use in reaching and battling Ganondorf. As usual he had his sword, shield, and bow. The only other weapons he had brought with him he kept on his belt: the dagger, which he had already used to progress through the courtyard, and … a pouch of bombs. He still had four of the small devices left since using one in the city in the sky.

Link's plan would work perfectly if King Bulblin and his loyal minions remained faithful to their truce.

The giant bulblin and his men galloped through the courtyard of training bokoblins, launching their axes and arrows into the swarm. The troops were stunned by the sudden attack by their commander, and after those still living recovered their senses, they roared and countered by racing after them, each trying to land a swipe on their new enemies.

Riding its giant boar, the ogre burst through the doors that opened into the main area of the bailey. Startled shrieks and angry growls thundered through the air, mixing with the sounds of the crackling heavens. The archers on overwatch called out the threat, alerting every soldier within the grounds to the danger of their mad commander. Arrows plugged the ogre, but its thick skin proved resistant to the full brunt of each blow. It sliced through the throng of troops as if they were slabs of butter. As the archers grew more desperate, they lit their arrowheads aflame before shooting down into the crowd.

This was when Link made use of the distraction he had engineered, entering the courtyard with bomb in hand. As the bulblins and bokoblins-and even the kargaroks-were busy entertaining their lethal guests, Link skidded to a flaming arrow that had missed its mark. As he bent and lit the fuse on the explosive, he regained his former speed, and to be assured it would not bounce away before its fuse was extinguished he chucked the bomb toward the chained double doors at the last moment.

Several things happened at the same time after this moment.

Link rolled under a swinging blade and uprooted an arrow while grabbing his bow into his right hand. When he popped up, he had taken a partly crouching stance, a knee and foot centering his balance as he aimed.

Huge chain links and splinters burst outward and impaled several surrounding troops as Link released his arrow, and the courtyard was engulfed in flame and smoke. As his arrow met the heart of a sentry, Link made his way through the cloudy debris field. He charged through as the soldiers around him were still fighting, and they were so disoriented at what was going on that they had started to fight among themselves, placing blame wherever it best suited their survival. Link swung his bow like a sword as a bulblin approached from out of nowhere, and it was hurled back by the force of the blow.

Once Link cleared the courtyard, he leapt over some of the stones of the steps that had been jostled free and bounded into Hyrule Castle.


	45. Chapter 41

**Chapter 41: The Puppet Master**

The shriek and roar of a loud explosion startled the Hylians within the main plaza of the town. They jostled about, each trying to shift so as to see past the magicked gates, but the doors on the other side were still shut tight. When at last the archers called down that an explosion had destroyed part of the castle, the men gasped in horror. Already, their fine castle was being demolished by the enemy, and their princess could soon be dead. When terror left their faces, fury replaced it. Each soldier held fast to their weapons, ready to be released into the courtyards.

But the way remained shut. In their inability to move forward into the castle, the soldiers each grew more and more restless. Many of them began banging the bases of their spears against the cold stones, both in trying to keep their wits and also keep warm in the rain that continued to pang off their armor.

The Group, headed by Rusl, and the general's strongest men were still in the midst of trying to break through the portcullis when a deep horn sounded, almost like the guttural growl of an animal, and the soldiers waited with bated breath as their imaginations took over.

Moments later, the wooden doors of the gatehouse up the incline burst toward the ranks, splintering into small chunks. The largest lump soaring at them was, in fact, not part of the door but a green giant astride a mighty boar. Its great axe flew through the air as it rode, the corroded metal bashing into the heads and torsos of the warriors that had followed.

The general called warning to his men, and all the soldiers save for a few had escaped the reaches of the gateway by the time the speed and sheer force of the ogre's massive axe broke through Midna's magical hold over it. Its bolts and bars snapped away with a resounding cracks and moans. Then the horde descended and the few unlucky Hylians met an unfortunate end at the hooves of the boar, the splintering metalwork, or the bite of a bokoblin's blade.

As the swarm filled the square the men were called to action, defending their town against the abrupt onslaught. Though the horde had blindly followed the bulblin king through the gates and into town, the rapid change of environment did little to startle them. They had been locked within the walls of the castle for so long that the chance for real bloodshed only made them more lethal.

The Group, the general, and few of his soldiers ducked out from behind the columns where they had taken shelter. The shock of the sudden attack was wearing away just as Rusl turned to the gate and realized … the way was now open.

The square-jawed general gave a nod to Rusl and the rest of the Group, and along with a few units of his fine Hylian soldiers, the Group marched through the portcullis and quickly made their way through the debris of the broken doorways. They had to fight along the path, as more and more bokoblins and bulblins continued to pour into the plaza. The archers atop the battlements covered their men, shooting arrows into the invading force to help their passage. Those Hylians who had been ordered to remain behind dealt with the rest.

For the first time in their generation, blood covered the streets of Hyrule.

===============

Eerie torchlight licked against the checkered floor tiles and the ceiling tiles imprinted with some kind of animal design. Link stepped lightly along the elegantly painted tiles beneath him, but his footsteps still rattled with the clinks of the metal soles and the greaves which protected him. A short hall brought him to an open archway that led him into the gigantic foyer. He cast a glance above to see that the domed ceiling came together in a triangular pattern, and the fires which lit the room so dimly were located across three separate balconies.

A stairway to either side of the room led up to the main balcony straight ahead, leaving the other two inaccessible from here. Grand chandeliers dangled from the ceiling, each suspended at a different height as if the chains controlling their position had been broken, and by the look of their dusty glimmer and tarnished metal engravings, no one had dared fix them.

He thought that perhaps it was just the lighting and the state of the place, the way the left staircase had completely fallen to rubble and how the right would prove precarious, that filled him with a sense of immediate dread. He sensed something then as some of the rubble of the left staircase caught his eye. When he neared the loosed stones, he saw the stains first … and the trickles of red that led to the dried pools surrounding the half-buried bodies. In the flickering half-light, it was difficult to see, but he counted at least seven.

Link knelt down to the two nearest him and removed the mangled helm from one of the bodies. The image of a woman, not even twenty-five it seemed, lay unmoving with short dark hair circling her face. Link's lips parted in a silent cry and he held back his emotions as he gently pushed the hair from her face. She reminded him of Ashei, that same plain complexion but much gentler with eyes forever closed to the world.

He felt for a pulse and found none, and then looked for her wound. The armor over her stomach had been crushed and blood had caked over its once shining silver surface. It was then Link found her arm, outstretched, and grasping tightly to another soldier's hand. Link could tell from the soldier's build that this one was male, even with half his body demolished under the rubble. Link took off his helmet as well and saw a face wrought in agony. His sword lay near his other hand, but it was left untainted and still singing with the hum of a polished blade. He looked to the bodies of the other soldiers and observed that their swords, too-though all were drawn-had not been soiled by battle. Scenarios of their deaths played out in Link's mind in mere seconds, and he came to one conclusion. They had been killed swiftly and with no remorse.

The thought of Ashei-or any of the others-ending up like this … it made Link glad that he had deceived them. Had he not sheltered them from the battle, this could have been their fate.

The sounds of the battle that continued to wage outside echoed into the grand entrance hall, and it brought him back to the matter at hand. He could feel the spirits of these soldiers, ushering him to move on, to end it once and for all. With that, Link wiped away any lingering doubts of journeying deeper into the domain of the demon thief and stepped toward the eastern stair steps.

Skittering footsteps greeted him from the shadows cast by the torchlight, and soon a unit of bokoblins descended upon him. He realized they must have been drawn by the sounds of battle outside. Immediately, Link was in motion, his sword dancing in and out through those that weaved about him. He slashed the chest of one, stabbed the gut of another, dodged a blow, circled about and swung wide, and cracked the blunt edge of his blade against another's face. In only moments, he had cast each body to the floor in a bloody heap, sustaining nothing more than a sweaty brow.

After the small force had been dispatched, he threw his gaze about to search out any lingering assailants. He found none and moved on.

He traversed the damaged staircase carefully, testing his foot before applying his full weight with each step he took. He clung to the wall instead of the railing, trusting the hard, white brick more than the wobbly golden white bar. His last step nearly proved mortally dangerous, for even though he had tested its stability, it wobbled and jostled out of place. As Link fought to evade its collapse, each stone around it also gave way to meet the floor below. Link leapt upward and landed safely on the secure stone of the balcony as each step then fell like dominoes after the last.

As he made his way for the door, which stood on the north side of the room, he stared out toward the shattered entry doors. He watched as the battle raged, as confusion so thick had scared the allies into attacking each other. He listened as their howls stretched on into the night, electrifying the thunder that pounded the clouds. A small puddle had formed at the entrance to the castle, but the rainwater had been poisoned with the trails of blood.

Link closed himself to all this as he opened and shut the northern door.

Or so he had thought.

As soon as he entered the next room, he had no time to process his surroundings before a great sword screamed toward his head. He barely had time to realize what was happening, and if not for the faint shine from its blade and the disturbance it had created in the air, Link would not have had enough forewarning to duck and roll out of its path. As he popped up he unsheathed his blade and faced off against a heavily armored dark knight for the first time since his trek into the Temple of Time.

Link thought back to his first encounter with the similar knight and had to reanalyze his battle strategy. That time he had had Rusl with him, and together they had been able to defeat it. Now, he would have to rely solely on his agility and mastery of the sword.

The force with which the dark knight swung its sword would have killed any man even had the blade been blunt, and Link's arm shrieked each time his shield took the full brunt of its attacks. Link thought the Hylian metal would surely break against his opponent's powerful swings, but somehow the shield continued to refute the dark knight's strength.

The dark knight sliced through the air, its sword crashing down toward Link like the giant axe of King Bulblin. Link managed to roll out of the way just in time, and as the heavy knight extracted its blade from the now broken tiles, Link landed a few choice hits against the lacings of its armor. Within seconds, the fauld and tuille that made up its armored skirt fell loose as did one of its greaves.

Link continued in this fashion as he dodged while the knight attacked, and once its breastplate, pauldrons, and helmet were knocked free, it gave up its heavy sword-throwing it like a small dagger toward Link, who gracefully sidestepped-and unsheathed its second and much lighter saber. Now, dressed only in its under armor and vambraces and the few pieces of metal that remained on its feet, the knight moved much swifter, nearly equal to Link's dexterity.

The Hylian, however, was unmatched, and after a few unsuccessful hits, a feint to the left opened up the knight for the final blow, and Link landed it perfectly.

The knight disintegrated into a crumpled mass of armor and chainmail, Link finally had the window to dissect the room and his options. Just like the grand entryway, this room had also been lit by only a few torches, which were guarded by dark knight statues; these, thankfully, were only decorations, and it made Link wonder if the knights he had fought had just been enchanted vessels. After all, where there were two statues to his left, only one leaned against the right hand wall, making it seem that its missing brother-in-arms had been Link's opponent.

Link made his way up the checkered stair steps that rose to the north. At the top two more armored statues greeted him. Each held a spear and were flanked by one blue and one red banner. A decorative silver and gold shield glistened on the wall between the display, three spears spread out behind it.

Ignoring the ornamentation of the hall, Link saw that the path had split at the top of the stairs. He did not quite know how to explain it, but a feeling itched at his senses and told him to move left. Perhaps it was the presence of the Hylian souls that had been slain when Ganondorf had taken over the castle. Regardless from where the instinct had spawned, Link turned left and went through the doors he found at the end of the short, blue-carpeted hallway.

Another blue carpet with golden trim blanketed the hallway beyond the doors and curved left with the turn of the room to stop before a door at the southern end. The hallway was dim with the light raining in from the windows, but Link could still make out the adornments hanging on the walls. He realized that this was some sort of gallery. There were shield and spear arrangements along with grand paintings that chronicled the construction of the castle; they must have been centuries old, Link mused, especially since the oil bases of which they had been comprised were cracked and flaking. They appeared to have already been retouched with new paints at least once by the discoloration in their texture.

Another piece that drew Link's attention was a beautiful sword that lay within a niche. Its polished blade looked nearly six inches wide and ended in a dull point. Its hilt had been crafted from the finest gold, with white trim and glistening pommel. A red stone had been set into the face of the guard. There was no inscription to indicate the last bearer of the sword, but Link thought perhaps that it had belonged to a great Hylian soldier, a forefather of the kingdom, or even perhaps Princess Zelda's late father, who it was said had passed on just last winter, leaving the princess still yet to have been coronated.

Something overcame his senses in that moment, and again he felt the presence of departed souls. It was as if they were guiding him along, assisting him even in death, like the gods had allowed them one last service to the Hero who would avenge their lands. Link did not know if it was his heightened wolf senses bleeding over into his human identity again or whether it was his strengthened sense as a Hero that enabled him to hear their whispers and see them in his mind, pointing toward the end of the hall. At this point, Link had come to accept that both his wolfish abilities and the courage that hailed him as Hero were one and the same.

Slapping himself mentally for having dawdled by admiring the artwork of the gallery, Link moved forward and into the next room … and immediately ducked then spun around with sword in hand to face two new dark knight attackers. Except … they were only spear-wielding statues.

Link blew out a relieved breath. _Better safe than dead, though_, he thought, as he turned back around and sheathed his sword … only for a mace to plow into his right shoulder.

Thankfully, he had equipped Rusl's armor, otherwise his shoulder would have been shattered completely. At least, however, he knew that his armor would not dent from such a powerful blow. As he pushed off from the floor where he had fallen, he silently berated himself for having let his guard down. Seeing that he was now faced with two dark knights, Link grabbed for his sword and shield, the latter already feeling a bit heavier in his grasp from the smart cascading through his upper arm and collar.

They both bore giant maces, each head the size of Link's torso. The hallway was narrow, which would make it difficult to maneuver around the two of them at once. As they approached him, he noticed two doors. One to the left, which surely led back into the grand entrance, and one to the right, which he presumed would lead outside since windows had been placed along its wall. Thus, he decided that due to the nature of his circumstances, his best choice of action here was to run. The more time he wasted in dealing with Ganondorf's minions, the more exhausted he would become once he reached the demon king.

As the dark knights closed the remaining distance between them, Link ducked through the gap between their bodies and raced to the outer door. Though the warriors were heavy-footed, Link knew he did not have time to waste. After exiting, he slammed the doors closed, and his head jerked this way and that like an owl's as he searched for an escape route.

He found that this walkway wrapped around the castle's southern side, towers and spires climbing to the stormy heavens all around him. Rain pelted against his vision as he tried to turn about. Directly ahead was a catwalk that dead-ended in a tower. He realized that these were the very walkways where the bulblin archers had been stationed upon his first entrance into the grounds below. It confused him as to why he did not now encounter any of their kind, but he thought perhaps they had retreated after the explosion and battle had died down.

However, though Link had imagined that the chaos he had created among their ranks should have faded by this point, he could still hear the grueling sounds of bloodshed below. He momentarily forgot his present danger and stepped up to the stone railing to peer below. What he found there was his worst fear: the Hylians had broken through. They were the ones that had sustained the battle. Already, Link could feel his heartstrings pull and tear and lash him like a whip in his eye for each Hylian scream he heard.

His lips pursed and he cursed the foul knights and bokoblins that had slackened his pace through the castle. Had it not been for those beasts, Link thought he might have already ascended to the heights where Ganondorf surely sat waiting.

Just then the dark knights from within the castle burst through the brown, polished doors. Link dove and landed on his side in order to avoid the splintering masses that flew out like a thousand spiked arrows. One such shaft landed in Link's right arm just above his elbow, and he yelped. Luckily, however, the shard was smaller than most of the planks and it had not dug too deeply into his skin.

A flaming arrow then landed just inches before his nose. He felt his eyes cross as he looked at it curiously, wondering where it could have come from at having imbedded into the stone at such an arc. His eyes followed the leaning shaft up to a niche in the tower at the end of the catwalk. The question of where the archers had disappeared to was answered when he spotted two bulblins nocking arrows.

Gritting his teeth, Link removed the piece of the door from his arm and leapt to his feet. On one side the archers dipped the heads of their readied arrows into braziers of flaming oil, and to his other side the dark knights continued their approach. He had been cornered, caught with no avenue with which to spring an escape. Link continued to turn between the two and dodged when the arrows of the bulblins came speeding toward him. They chimed off the breastplates of the knights behind Link.

Link would have no chance at fighting the dark knights now, and even if he managed to aim quickly and precisely with his bow to slay the archers, the knights would still be next to impossible to battle on such terrain. He had to try something, though.

Just as Link was about to chance throwing down his sword and shield to grab for his bow, he careened forward from a sudden and hot burst of wind that pounded against his back. He struggled to stay standing, but the groaning vibrations in the stones displaced his balance and he fell flat on his face. A few seconds later the rumbling ceased and he grunted as he pushed himself back onto his feet.

He looked behind him to see that the dark knights had become piles of motionless armor. Confused and still a little dazed, it took him a few more seconds to notice the charred edges of some of the stones on the railing. An arrow bouncing off the solaret dressing his foot brought him out of the trance, and he tucked his sword and shield onto his back once more as he ran for the heap of armor. Taking one of the more slender swords in hand, Link shook it free of the scabbard and threw it like a javelin toward the archers. Though it did not kill either archer, it did not entirely miss its mark. One bulblin scattered so fitfully in the attempt to avoid the sword that it fell over the side of its niche to land in a messy heap below. The second was struck in the arm by its steel, which was enough for Link to accept that it would no longer cause him any grief.

Now, Link had the time to cast a glance over the edge of the catwalk. What he found was an unexpected sight, one he would have rather not seen but one that also came as a very welcome surprise.

The Group had just saved his life.

In the midst of the battle below, Ashei and Rusl had fought off-and were continuing to do so-the enemy hordes that surrounded them while Auru held a rather curious device which looked like a large cylinder on a balanced thigh as he knelt. Shad, who stood at the old man's back, appeared to have been loading something into the barrel of Auru's device. Link could only surmise from the construction of the weapon and by the charred remains of the dark knights behind him that they had come up with some way of using bombs as projectile weapons-perhaps even at the assistance of Kakarikan bomb maker, Barnes.

Rusl glanced up to Link's position, and finally seeing Link's face emerge from the cloud of smoke and rain, the warmness that burst through him banished the harsh cold of the night from his nerves. He dispatched another bokoblin before having the small window to properly give Link his full attention. Seeing the young man then nod down his thanks and possibly an apology, Rusl smiled and turned his attention back to the battle that surrounded his comrades.

As Rusl fought off one attacker after the next, he watched Link out the corner of his eye as the Hero climbed his way up the wraparound walkway to reach the door at the southern side of the castle, high above the shattered grand entry doors.

He was beyond their help now.

===============

The scent of blood assailed Link's nostrils as he stepped into the room beyond the door, closing himself off once more from the sounds of battle. The sight was worse than the memory of his entrance into the Arbiter's Grounds, seeing all those corpses piled and overflowing. This sight … this made him the sickest he had been in all his life.

He took a few gentle steps into the ruined room, tiles displaced and crushed, walls covered in red like the finger paints of a careless child. The once beautiful banners hung in tattered strips about the room, and the few sconces that lit the area made everything all the more eerie. Scattered pebbles that once belonged to floor and ceiling tiles crunched as Link stepped ever so slowly, trying desperately not to step on the bodies that littered the floor.

Link could not tell if every inch of the floor had been broken and disjointed, for there was hardly any spot left uncovered. Bodies, some headless, some missing fingers or entire appendages, cluttered the entire room. There were even a few who had been impaled by spears which left them suspended from the walls. Link, try as he might, could not pull his eyes from the dead gazes of each Hylian soldier that he passed. A wave of nausea overtook him and he nearly drowned under its tide, but his stomach was so sick from the sight that his mind had gone numb and his body forgot its desire to vomit. He could not blink away the bodies, could not swallow the sickness. It just hung there, like the scent of their cruel murders sticking to the air.

He did not need to look to know that Midna had ascended from his shadow at last. He could feel her beside him and could sense that her emotions reflected his.

Link stopped, and numbly watched as the browning blood of the soldiers pooled around his boots. He closed his eyes.

Midna pulled her sight from the bodies when Link had stopped, and when he had closed his eyes, she understood because she had done the same thing before they had left the Twilight Realm. He was sending a prayer-or perhaps a promise-out to the dead souls of the soldiers, ensuring them that their deaths would be avenged.

Link opened his eyes then and focused on the stairway on the other side of the rectangular room, which led north and up into the inner sanctum of the castle.

"This ends," said Link, and he closed the distance between him and the stairs with careful, meaningful strides.

The fire that burned in Link's eyes frightened Midna, but it also emboldened her. She had never seen Link so filled with rage, and she did not know how it was that he was able to contain his anger. It was burning so furiously right at the edge of his control, tiptoeing the border of his restraint. He contained it so masterfully, allowing it to bare its teeth only just enough for it to fuel him, for it to be a tool in the battle to come.

When Link had marched into the castle, his mind set on facing Ganondorf in battle, he had not quite known where he would find him, but everything within Link told him that a tyrant such as this would be found in the throne room basking in the glory of his victory. He was not entirely sure where this throne room would be located, but his gut instinct had beckoned him toward the castle's highest spires. Now, he stood at the base of the spiraling stairs and somehow knew they would guide him to that very point.

Link hiked up each set of stairs, each progressively becoming more dangerous to cross as the steps became more and more cracked and broken from the battles that had apparently been waged within their halls. There were three different sets of stairs, each leveling out momentarily before continuing their climb, and at each interval, bokoblins or some other guarding enemies sprang into action in the attempt to thwart Link's ascent.

Each died swiftly.

At each tier Link could see the sky darkening more and more with the raging storm and thunder of the night through the windows that rested along the outside wall. He could barely hear the sounds of battle from the bailey as he continued to plunge higher and higher. At the last staircase, he had to lean on the assistance of his clawshots to shoot him up and over the missing stairs, which had fallen away into the grounds below along with sections of the outer wall. Link was only momentarily exposed to the outside once more as his chain bolted him across the gaps, bringing him at last to the uppermost tier of the stairwell.

He rounded the bend to the left and came face-to-face once more with a dark knight. By the look of the door at its back, it stood guard over the final threshold.

Link unsheathed his sword and shield just as the knight took notice of his presence. The knight slouched into its battle stance, holding its giant saber high behind it in preparation of its attack. By now, Link knew how it would move: slow steps, wide swings, and shield arm held in tight. Link did not have time to wait out the knight or implement the wiser defensive strategy. He took straight to an offensive and charged into battle while Midna hung back. She needed to save her restoring energy for their fight against the demon king.

As soon as he came close, the dark knight did exactly as Link had predicted; its right arm began its downward swing as it brought its shield in close. Link sped toward where the tip of the blade would make contact, and at the last moment, he skipped to the right and the giant sword impaled the tiles. While the knight was preoccupied in retrieving its blade, its shield hand slackened its defense, and Link lurched forward to cut loose the plates protecting its breast. The knight tried to cast Link off with a thrust of its shield, but Link merely leapt to the left, kicked off its struggling right arm and landed balanced-but only momentarily-on the top rim of its shield.

The knight flicked its shield like a hand swatting at a bee, but the motion only helped propel Link upward. With a quick twist of his sword, a faint crimson shimmered along the surface of his blade, and Link descended. The Master Sword had pierced the knight straight through its layer of under armor across its chest, and a tide of scarlet light drowned the life from it and the room.

All at once the knight was nothing more than a mound of armor like its deceased brethren.

Link huffed a breath as he stood there, trying to set his breath back to an even pace. He gritted his teeth behind tightly closed lips and breathed through his nostrils as he reset his sword and shield. It was a moment before his left hand released the grip on the Master Sword; it was almost as though he and the sword hungered for the final strike.

He did not know whether it was the adrenaline from the fight, his anxiety at knowing what lay ahead, or the anger still feeding his nerves, but something had given him the boost he needed to face the large door before him. The crest of the royal family had been stamped onto its surface. He had seen this crest in so many places throughout Hyrule, the body of a mythical bird holding the Triforce between outstretched wings in place of its head. Link stepped up to the door and stretched out a hand as if to touch the symbol, but it was too high.

The faint burning sensation of the Triforce within him returned and resonated within his hand. It was not a powerful feeling, like he knew it could be, but it was all the evidence he needed to know that he was close to his goal. Somehow, he knew that the power within him had felt the presence of its sisters. And without knowing exactly how, he knew that it was this power within him that raised the heavy door, slowly creaking as a rumble thundered through the floor and walls.

The way opened to the dark and stormy sky, even darker and more sinister than Link had remembered it being only minutes ago. Deep reds and blinding yellows that seemed to flash even brighter with every trickle and blast of lightning that splattered the sky were smeared betwixt splotches of deep shadow and black clouds. The rain continued to pour like poison from the menacing sky, splattering against the wet stones of the balcony.

Link stepped out into the cold night air with Midna at his side. She had hung beside him as his constant companion throughout everything. It was hard to believe that they had but a few more steps to tread before it all ended … one way or the other.

They stepped up to the edge of the balcony, and Link took a moment to look out beyond the castle and its town. He faced directly south, and he could see the tops of the trees of Faron…. Home, and yet … not home. The woods of Faron had been where he had been raised by a kind man and a generous people, but it had never truly been his home. Hyrule, its fields, its mountains, its oceans of water and sand … all of it-every inch-had been his home, the land he had always been meant to protect from evil. He felt a kind of pride as he looked out across the Hyrule Kingdom, realizing that this was the sight Princess Zelda had grown up seeing every day.

He saw the distant mountains of Kakariko Gorge and was able to pick out Death Mountain, the highest and most dangerous peak in all of Eldin province. The one mountainside in all of Hyrule he longed to see once more, to sit on its red rock and watch in utter peace and silence as the sun set on the horizon.

The wind at this height was much more intense and it pounded against him, threatening to blow Link over the railing. To protect himself against its strength, he laid a hand over the railing, but an eerie feeling washed over him then as he looked into the courtyard below. A wave of darkness had overcome him, like he had just touched something evil.

Lightning flashed and woke him from his musings. He turned an eye to Midna, and she turned to him. They shared a short glance, and in that silence they thanked each other. Neither could put to words the feelings that they held for the caring and selflessness of the other, and there was no need. They had been tested against so much together and had risen above and beyond each challenge. They had become stronger. Whatever harsh or cruel feelings they had once had for each other in the beginning, those feelings no longer mattered. They had grown beyond their resentment for each other, learned to respect one another, and even trust one another. They had become true companions.

They turned to the dual staircases which rose up on either side of the balcony entrance, rising and leveling out above the open doorway. At the top of these rain-soaked stairs, was the highest building of the castle. Towers grew from its ceiling, like mountains in the heavens. Link climbed the steps slowly, casting his gaze this way and that through the thickening rain, cautious of any foe that might try to thwart their final advance.

Link reached the top of the stairs and came face-to-face with another, very wide set of steps that led directly into the entrance of the building before him, which he could only assume to be the throne room. At this distance Link could manage to see that the ceiling was vaulted and ended in a dome with some kind of statue near the back. He could make out a figure and the distinct shape of triangles. As he grew closer with each stair step, he could see more and more of the statue that seemed to float at the dome end of the room.

When they reached the middle of the stairs, the throne room began to cloud over with a thick shadowy mist, and two dark knights suddenly emerged from within. Before Link could even contemplate the thought of drawing his sword, Midna snapped her fingers. In that instant the two knights were plucked up by invisible strings and clanged together. The force of the hit knocked each immobile to the stone ground flanking the throne room entrance.

She sent a small grin to Link, and he knew by that look that she had fully recovered from her use of the Fused Shadows. It made him feel much more at ease knowing that she had the full command of her powers again.

And so they stepped up the last of the stairs, reaching a finely woven blue carpet of gold trim. Like so many of the delicate carpets they had walked, this one, too, had been turned an odd violet color from lustful bloodshed. They followed its ominous path into the throne room.

They had escaped the rain but not the cold. Thunder echoed viciously within the room. A row of inner columns bordered them, and as they looked around, they realized that the throne room's side walls had been constructed in a similar way. Rows of pillars held the ceiling in place and their placement gave the illusion of grand, open windows.

Link nearly tripped on a stone just then, and he turned his attention back to the path. A giant stone head, female by the looks of its fine, curved features, lay broken before him. Midna inched forward for a closer look, and they both came to the same realization. The head had belonged to the statue figure they had seen on their first approach to the throne room doors. Gasping, they looked up at the once magnificent statue carvings.

A great circle was held within the grasp of the giant wings of the royal family's crest. Three gracefully sculpted feminine bodies surrounded the circle, though each had been beheaded. On the face of this circle rested a giant carving of three golden triangles, the very symbol of the Triforce. Yet, within the center of these three perfect triangles was a fourth body, small and human.

Princess Zelda.

She hung within the invisible grip of some magical force, eyes closed and body limp. She was still devoid of the life-force she had bestowed upon Midna, and without it she was nothing more than a soulless body, barely-if at all-alive.

Link's vision descended, following the sculpture down to see that the base of it rested behind the throne. A single body sat within the red velvet seat, its long back bearing a depression of the mark of the goddesses.

The Hero's voice choked and he took a step forward, but Midna threw out an arm to halt his advance. Link steadied himself behind her and swallowed his impulse to charge, to immediately set Zelda free.

Several strikes of lightning lit the room, casting deep shadows across Link's features and the ominous figure sitting on the throne of Hyrule. The echoing thunder that followed brought an air of menace to the demon king's words. "Welcome to my castle." Link could see the grin on the evil man's face, and his soft but deep chuckle that followed seemed to take everything within the room prisoner.

There he sat, the mastermind behind the plight of Hyrule, and he sat there so … comfortably, so unafraid. His square jaw rested casually on his fisted right hand as it rose propped up on a knee. His eyes were small under such enormous red brows, narrowed in a sneer, but Link could see their yellow color glaring straight at him. A large nose rested above thin, wide lips. A thick and neatly trimmed beard covered the length of his face save for his upper lip; the red curls continued up the sideburns next to his jeweled ears to meet the finely woven hair on his scalp. His blood red hair had been curled tight at the back of his head, pulled into tight spools of hair by the intricate, golden headdress he wore. Delicate chains drooped from several points on his headdress, ending at the center point of his forehead where a golden stone hung.

The appearance of this man was more than Link had expected. He had had every right to picture the demon king as a nasty and diseased man, with tattered clothing and wild hair. This man with his dark skin-tanned no doubt from his years living in the desert-and finely trimmed appearance had the regal look of a true king.

But this man was not the king of Hyrule. He was no king at all. This man, who had swept hell and fury across the lands of Hyrule, was no less the demon than Link had heard tell from the sages and the myth of which Auru had spoken.

"So, you're … Ganondorf." Link heard Midna sneer as she said his name.

Ganondorf returned her leer with a growling laugh. He stood slowly and brought himself to his full height, matched by the throne behind him. He grasped a curious sword in his left hand, still sheathed, but its hilt shined as if by a magic all its own. A red and black cape fell about him, floating behind his darkly armored body. The armor and clothing underneath covered the length of his body, black pants dipping into large, plated boots. His stature was made to look even more menacing by the armor that adorned his already broad shoulders. He was a large man made a giant by his attire and proper posture. Just by the way he held himself Link knew that this man had been given-or taken-everything that he had ever wanted, and he had been unsuccessful in claiming his desires only once.

The mark of his failure had been tattooed across his torso. A large white light stained his chest where his heart surely rested, and Link realized that this must have been the very place that the sages' sword had once impaled him. Ganondorf did not seem discouraged by the scar, however; he almost seemed to stand with his chest puffed out a bit, as if the mark was a testament to his power-the power that would deny even death.

Link had wanted to give this man a choice once, a chance to turn away, as he had offered Zant. Link was not a murder. He had learned to control the rage within him from his dealings with the King Bulblin, and he had cultivated mercy even to those least deserving. But it was this man who had slaughtered hundreds of Hylian soldiers, covered their lands in darkness, and forced the people and princess into submission. Now, face-to-face with those yellow eyes, Link knew that to even offer a chance of penitence would be folly. Ganondorf was on the cusp of victory, and what was worse … the king knew it. He would never back down so close to his triumph.

This was the very sight that had struck terror into Link, the terror of facing such evil power. He could only overcome his fright with the knowledge that Midna stood alongside him … and the memory of all those who had fallen to this king's merciless lust.

Ganondorf smirked with a hum, looking down on Link and Midna with his darkened yellow eyes as if they were mere insects in relation to his power. It was a sneer that dared them to act against him, a look that threw his disgust in their faces.

Midna did not let it intimidate her, and Link's hands flexed as he stood beside her. Midna tossed away his insult with one of her own. "I've been dying to meet you," she said, and she gave him a glaring grin that offered the presence of her single fang. She had chosen her words carefully, throwing the irony of her statement at him fully, daring him in return, daring him to attack.

Her remark did nothing to offend him; instead, he took a clanking step forward. "Your people have long amused me, Midna. To defy the gods with such petty magic, only to be cast aside…. How very pathetic." Midna's small fingers fisted at his affront but contained her power. She would not be so easily rattled. Ganondorf saw this and continued, "Pathetic as they were, though, they served me well." He extended his hand and fisted his fingers so tightly that the leather of his gauntlet creaked. "Their anguish was my nourishment." He laughed at Midna, at the weakness of her people. "Their hatred bled across the void and awakened me. I drew deep of it and grew strong again."

Link watched Midna closely, ready to halt her advance as she had done for him.

"Your people had some skill, to be sure … but they lacked true power." Ganondorf shifted and cast his gaze up at the suspended figure of the princess. "The kind of absolute power that only those chosen by the gods may wield." He grinned at Zelda's helplessness and his triumph in claiming her as his trophy.

He turned back to face Midna and Link once more. He held up the back of his right fist so that they could see how the symbol of the Triforce began to glow with a blinding golden light even through his glove. "He who wields such power would make a suitable king for this world, don't you think?" His fingers grew tauter as he chuckled in a low and sinister rumble.

This made Midna laugh. "Such conceit!" Link watched Ganondorf as he listened. Her words did nothing to even dent his jubilant mood. "But if you are one of the chosen wielders of power, as you claim…" continued Midna, as she gathered her hands over her heart. "I will risk everything to deny you!" Her arms opened wide as if demonstrating the meaning of her words. Her eye tensed on his frame, soaking in that callous grin he continued to offer her.

He merely hummed a laugh in reply. Ganondorf looked from the foul imp to her companion, realizing the full extent as to why she was here. He could see into her, and what he saw entertained him greatly. "Shadow has been moved by light it seems." His grin opened wide when he turned back to Midna. "How … amusing."

Midna's fang made a reappearance, and before she struck out against him, Link unsheathed his sword and grabbed her forearm. She did not take her eyes from Ganondorf, but she relaxed … partially.

Ganondorf's yellow eyes fell on the young Hylian once again and sized him up. This youth was so very like that little boy all those years ago. A meddlesome little brat. His grin turned to a frown. "You … you are so like your ancestor, boy. He, too, thought that he could keep me from what is rightfully mine."

"Hyrule will never bow to you," Link proclaimed, hand tightening round the hilt of the Master Sword.

This made Ganondorf hum another tune of laughter. "Hyrule is but a steppingstone," he boomed. "But the power of the gods … now that is the real prize. That boy thought he could keep me from it, but the gods' power was granted unto me nonetheless. And with this kingdom's princess and its pathetic hero at my fingertips, soon I will have the power to grant my one true desire."

Link's knuckles turned white hot, and he could feel Midna's muscles tensing under his grasp. Ganondorf's smile reigned anew; he spread the fingers of his fist as speckles of shadow began to radiate upward from his body. The room seemed to darken as he spoke. "Very well. Deny me then." He turned his attention from Link to the princess above him. "Yes, try to deny me … you and your little friend."

The cloud of shadow continued to grow about his body, consuming him in its embrace as the speckles grew denser and denser. He raised his left hand toward the princess of Hyrule, calling forth his power.

Midna's breath caught; she understood what it was he was about to do, and she had to stop him. All at once, she wriggled free of Link's grasp and raced against the rising black droplets. "Midna!" Link reached out his arm, but she was already out of reach. He watched as she put herself between the demon king and the princess, her arms and legs spread far apart in defense of Zelda.

Ganondorf merely grinned, however, and his body turned to shadow dust in an instant, the fog he had now become rising to Midna and Zelda's level. Link watched as the cloud hung there only momentarily. He could do nothing for Midna, and he felt utterly helpless for the first time.

The speckles flew toward Midna like a volley of darts, and she shrieked a groan as they came at her. On instinct, she closed her eye tight, and Link watched as the droplets passed not through her but around her to assail the body of Zelda in a fit of spasms. Once the dark shards had completely dissipated into the princess's body, Midna slowly opened her eye in a grimace to the silence of the room. Startled that nothing had happened to her, she looked herself over. It was then she sensed it. The darkness lingering behind her. She became all too aware of what Ganondorf had done as she turned to the limp body of Princess Zelda.

Midna flew up to Zelda's face and could feel the lusting darkness within her building and festering. She had to attack before it was too late, before the demon king had time to fully take over the princess's body. She reared back her right hand and lashed out … but stopped midstream. She fought her instincts, fought the knowledge that she had to kill Ganondorf. Doing so now would likely result in Zelda's death as well. But with each moment, the king drew stronger. Her fingers flexed with the pain of her dilemma, and within a few more seconds, her hand relaxed. She could not bring herself to harm the person who had saved her life so long ago, the person who had given her a second chance.

She closed her eye, gritting her teeth. Zelda would want her to do it. She would want her to save her kingdom from Ganondorf no matter the cost. Midna extended her hand and rested it on the princess's cheek. She opened her eye to look upon the face-the life-she had to end for there to be peace.

But it was too late. Midna's hesitation would be her death.

Zelda's eyes flashed open like yellow lightning as the thunder boomed and echoed within the room. Midna screamed at the intense pain that then coursed through her body from Zelda. The princess had not lifted a finger, and yet, the power that flowed through Midna stunned her, paralyzed her, and sent her spiraling backward.

Her companion raced after her body as she was flung through the air toward the entrance of the throne room. Midna landed just outside on the cold steps, rain pelting against her tiny, motionless figure. Just as Link came close, an orange wall rose up before him. He skidded to a stop, Midna just out of reach beyond the magic of the translucent barrier. She was not moving, and fear unlike anything else he had ever felt before welled within him … stronger even than his fear of the demon king. He started to call her name, but a strange laugh cut into his thoughts.

Light steps echoed behind him, and he swiveled about to find Princess Zelda standing a few meters away. Her fair skin had changed from the way he remembered it. Now, her features were paler and tinted green. A pattern of lines had blackened her skin like some disease infesting and swelling her every vein. Everything about her seemed darker, more sinister, from her ashen skin, her yellow eyes, to her violet kirtle and white skirt. The golden shine of the pauldrons she wore had diminished to a dull hum, and the beauty of the delicately carved and jeweled broach on her chest connecting her armor had lost its glimmer.

"Both of you, faithless fools who would dare to take up arms against the king of light and shadow." This was Princess Zelda's voice, but her voice had deepened and her accent had slightly changed. Link had not wanted to believe it, but … this was no longer his princess. The demon king had possessed her lifeless body and taken her as his own.

"So you choose…" said Zelda, and as she sneered at him, her body lifted from the floor, sword in her right hand. "And so you shall feel my wrath!"

Zelda hovered far above him, eyes filled with such bloodlust that Link's heart tugged at his chest. He could not look on her and see Zelda any longer. He had to see the enemy that now infested her body like a virus, or else he would fail. This was Ganondorf, mastermind behind the cruelty and death that had befallen Hyrule, the master puppeteer who had been pulling Zant's strings from the very beginning.

Link twirled his sword in his grip, feeling its momentum again, and drew his shield out before him. If there was a way to save Zelda, he would find it. If not … he would do what he must. The Zelda he had known would have wanted him to stop Ganondorf any way he could.

Suddenly, he had no more time to think over his options. Ganondorf raised his sword as he floated like a wraith in Zelda's body. An electrified orb of golden light formed at the tip of his sword, and he cast it toward Link before he could react. The energy crashed into Link and sent him to his back. His muscles tensed and convulsed at the pain. Luckily, however, the intense pain did not grapple him for long, and within a few seconds he was able to pull himself back up.

Just as he did so, however, Ganondorf was flying toward him like an arrow racing for its target. Sword extended before him, the demon king came within inches of thrusting his blade through Link's heart. Link had rolled out of the way just in time, but the king had redirected himself with such dexterity and swiftness that Link had little time to react.

Without the time to roll or leap out of the way, Link managed to lift his body up from the floor halfway, leaving him enough room to bring his shield up and ram into Ganondorf. The king had been flying toward him with such speed, that when he hit Link's shield the swinging force of the sudden obstruction sent him spiraling sideways into one of the inner columns. The power of the hit had also knocked Link to his back once more.

Ganondorf grunted as he slammed into the stone. As he shook it off his stupor from the blow, Link was given enough time to recover and balance himself as well. Link constantly shifted his weight from one foot to the other, prepared at all times to fight or dodge accordingly.

A guttural scream exploded from Ganondorf, its feminine quality seeming to add a layer of anxiety in Link. His fingers flexed and he twirled his sword again. Link had noticed this tick in himself long ago, even from his days of training with Rusl. He had come to realize that this motion was his body's way of filling in the lack of movement as his mind worked to observe or wait out an enemy, making them think twice about advancing for the attack.

But attack Ganondorf did … just not in a way Link had expected. He felt the hairs on his neck stand on end, felt the soles of his feet beginning to burn. All around him, a triangular section of the room lit up with the most precarious light. He rolled out of the reach of the triangle just as its rays ascended into the room like a million thirsty pine needles stretching upward to sap Link of his energy.

Link could feel the residual heat of the light as the king dispelled its energy, and Link delighted in having escaped whatever horror the light had ushered forth. He fixed his gaze on the demon again. He hovered above Link like an ominous cloud just waiting to rain death upon whatever should lie beneath it. His movements were erratic yet deliberate, the constant swaying of his new body bouncing his skirt about his dangling legs like a tide trying to stick to sand.

Ganondorf backed him into the southern wall, the wall which bore the barrier keeping Link from his partner. He still could not tell if she was alive or not.

Once Link had been cornered against the wall, Ganondorf powered his blade again. It shimmered with a thick coat of yellow luminescence before this energy was bottled to the point of his sword. Another sparking orb of golden light emerged and hung on its tip like a bright star. With a mighty swing, Ganondorf sent it sailing.

Link was prepared for the attack this time, but he still was not sure how to drive the light away. On some instinct he barred the path of the orb with the flat side of his saber, and, to his great astonishment, the magic splattered against his blade and hummed through the length of it as it was scattered into a hundred specks of harmless light.

As he looked down the length of his sword in wonderment, Ganondorf growled. Then he heard a faint voice behind him. "Link!"

It was Midna. He turned, relieved, but before he could speak, she moaned as she told him, "Those orbs…. You have the power now … from my realm…. You can use that light to deflect his magic."

Link knew the light she spoke of, the light from the Sols that had been imbued in his blade. Light to cast away shadow.

The Hero turned to Ganondorf again, who had been unable to hear the faint whispers of the wounded Midna. The king continued to toy with him, bouncing around in the air, making the young Hylian give chase and keep his guard up at all times. He raised his sword several times to call upon his magicks, turning the stones hot with light a few more times, and when that continued to fail, Ganondorf lunged forward, propelling his new body through the air like a spear.

When the king failed to even scratch Link with this tactic, he sent his third ball of golden light toward the youth. A mistake he would not have the fortune to take back.

As the orb sailed toward Link, he lowered his shield, which gave Ganondorf the false impression that his attack would meet its target. Yet, at the last moment, Link sliced through the air. The steel of his legendary blade batted the sphere backward and it smacked directly into Zelda.

The roaring scream that burst forth from Zelda's lungs then was a combination of her strong feminine character and the evil and deep voice that now possessed her. Her body slowly descended, convulsing from the electrifying magic that flowed through her veins. Her once beautiful hair stood on end, and by the time she landed on the ground with a soft thud, the sparking energy that had surrounded and thundered through her had dissipated. She was left as nothing more than an unmoving heap of flesh.

If Link had killed the princess of Hyrule he did not know if he could live with himself.


	46. Chapter 42

**Chapter 42: Unleash the Beast**

Link knelt to the collapsed frame of Zelda. Her face was turned from him, and she lay there so motionlessly that he could not tell if he had killed her in the process of trying to slay the demon king inside her. He knew from having felt the effects of Ganondorf's magic that the attack he had deflected onto her should not have been a lethal dose. If anything, he had hoped that the sudden blast would weaken the body of the princess and drive the spirit of the King of Evil from her.

He inched closer to her body and saw that she still breathed as she lay on her side. Link set his shield down but retained his grip on the Master Sword. He did not know what to expect, but he only wished for Princess Zelda, the beautiful woman he had met so long ago, to be alive and free of Ganondorf's curse.

Gently, he touched her arm, grabbing her just above the elbow. He had intended to roll her over to face him, but as soon as he had touched her, an icy cold squeezed his heart. The feeling took his breath away, and he was just able to release her and stumble backward as Zelda turned. Her yellow eyes met Link's. The dark marks that revealed her curse were still tattooed across her skin. Though her gaze promised vengeance, her body still shook as if with a fever.

Ganondorf still infested her body, and he held tightly to the princess's saber. In his weakness a yellow mist bled from his pores, and his eyes were glazed with a dazed expression trying to focus. He groaned in pain. His hold over her body was greatly weakened and he knew he did not have much time left before Link took action.

Link knew he must purge Ganondorf's evil presence from Zelda's body, but was driving a sword through her heart the answer? What if killing Zelda would not even result in the death of Ganondorf? What if he just escaped the dying body? He just could not bring himself to do it. Link would not let her die so needlessly.

In Link's indecision, Ganondorf glared at him as he tried to rise … but then he saw it.

The barrier keeping Midna at bay dissipated, and the tiny imp rose from the ground. Exhaustion and pain were written across her face, but she stood strong nonetheless. The magic of her ancestors broiled within her, bringing life once more to her luminescent hair. Ganondorf raised his left hand in frail defense of what he knew would come. This body simply no longer had the strength to repel the pathetic magic of the Twili.

Link dove out of the way of Midna's spearing red hair as her locks crashed in and around the body of Zelda. The princess disappeared within the interwoven tresses, and only the deep guttural scream of sheer torture could be heard. The voice was slightly altered from the voice Link knew, but it was Zelda's voice all the same, and hearing her cry out in such a way made his skin crawl. He hoped Midna knew what she was doing, hoped that she had full control of herself this time.

Within the grasp of the Fused Shadows, the light mist that had bubbled around Zelda's body turned to sharp rays of light and speckles of black as the curse and spirit of Ganondorf was squeezed out between the fingers of Midna's hair.

When Midna released the body from her magic's grasp, it was to reveal a Zelda cured of the horrid blackness that had seeped into her veins. She fell in a heap to the blue carpet, but Link raced forward to catch her in his arms. He looked from Midna to the princess in his arms. They had done it. They had banished evil from Zelda's body, and Ganondorf had been cast off as mere fragments of what he had once been. Now, Midna could restore to Zelda the life-force that she had sacrificed in order to keep the small imp alive.

Link sheathed his sword and took Zelda fully within his arms. He walked along the stained carpet and ascended the stairs. Link stopped before the great throne of Hyrule and placed his princess in her rightful place. Her body sat straight but motionless within her regal seat below the carvings of the three goddesses-as Link had presumed them to be-with her hands folded upon the gentle folds of her lap. Link thought her still frame tranquil somehow, a faint glow already returning to her cheeks. He stood before her as relief washed over him.

Yet, even as Midna flew toward the princess, a rumble rose from the stones and reverberated through Link's bones. It caught him off guard, but he knew all too well what the tremors might mean. A sound like rolling waves of dark water filled his ears, crashing in on him like thundering static. As he turned, his fear was realized.

Ganondorf would not be slain so easily. He was, after all, one of the bearers of the Triforce. Link's eyes followed the specks of blackness as they rained in toward the spot where he had scooped up Zelda; it was as if the center of gravity had shifted to the presence of evil, sucking everything dark-even the blackest shadows-to that one spot.

Link stood ready, Master Sword drawn and posing for the coming disaster. That was when he felt a body lean into him. There was Midna, his faithful companion and greatest friend, leaning the curves of her cursed body against his side. She draped an arm across his back and the top of his shoulder as she looked into his eyes. A thin smile brightened his exhausted face as he looked at her, and it made the warmth she had felt when he had held her after breaking the barrier return. He found renewed courage within her and he held onto that feeling as he looked toward the mass of darkness still growing before them.

Midna's stare upon Link's face lingered only a fraction of a second longer than Link's had, and in that quick moment she burned the image of his face-an expression so strong, so bold-into her mind and wrapped herself in the warmth he had given her as her attention refocused alongside Link's. She shifted, grasping the collar of his armor, pushing herself forward with every intention of shielding him from any danger that Ganondorf would unleash.

It was a hideous sight, the image of this groaning man set on all fours as pure evil coursed back into him, giving dark life once more to this silhouette. Once he had soaked in every last droplet, his groans turned darker, painful cries of deepening octaves. Then suddenly, tendrils of shadowy hair grew out the length of Ganondorf's disfigured frame, and bones crackled and groaned as his body grew and continued to enlarge until he was the size of a massive beast nearly equal the size of the giant statues above the throne.

His new body reared and color poured throughout his naked figure. Stiff, black fur coated his back and limbs, while a silver shade spread the length of his underbelly. A great, blinding white scar tore across him from navel to collar bone, and Link knew immediately that this was the same scar from before, the scar of the sages' blade … the blade now in the possession of this evil tyrant.

The beast that was now Ganondorf thudded onto his new forelegs with a resounding thud and a great, guttural roar that sent dust and saliva at Link. Looking into the face of the beast, Link saw the king's distinct features, his now mutilated Gerudo crown resting on the greasy red mane of this pig beast. Its eyes were puny in comparison with the rest of its face, a bright yellow that seemed to encapsulate the entirety of Ganondorf's rage. His facial hair remained the same, but now it outlined two thick tusks that looped from its jaw to a few inches in front of either side of his face.

After his initial animalistic challenge had been declared, the beast took a few paces back and raked his crooked claws against the stone, grating across it like a sword on ice. During all this neither Link nor Midna abandoned their ground; they stayed strong in the face of their enemy, Link gripping tightly to the hilt of the blade of evil's bane … the one weapon he knew could destroy this evil once and for all.

Then all at once the floor shook under the thundering stomps of the beast's charge. The speed of this beast was greater than Link had anticipated, and Midna and he barely had the time to duck to either side. Link swung his sword as he went, his blade injuring only a tuft of fur. He managed to keep his eyes on his opponent, as he leapt out of his roll.

The beast quickly circled the edge of the room and was charging toward him once more with dexterity most unnatural for a creature of such bulk. Link had room to dodge once more, this time not taking the chance of a counterattack. He needed to get a feel for his enemy's new body and the strength it possessed, which he indeed did learn of its frightful capabilities when it missed him and rammed headlong into one of the pillars supporting the roof.

Any natural creature would have been somehow fazed by the blow to the head, but to this animal it may have only felt like a tickle as its tusks plunged into the stones, dislodging them and sending them flying across the room as its body flailed and ruffled the dust from its mane. In seconds it had turned itself about with a roaring growl that sounded like something between that of a bear and a dragon.

At the middle of the throne room, Link backed up along the blue carpet, taking careful steps toward the entrance. Midna had finally been able to rejoin him as well, and within the quick seconds it took for the beast to close in, a million thoughts ran through Link's mind. He weighed strategy after strategy in his mind, recounting all the previous monstrous beasts he had battled against impossible odds. There was the Diababa, Darbus's evil incarnation, the sea monster, a great skeleton, a tortured girl, the colossal Armagohma, a dragon, and the evil tyrant's minion. Yet, even with all these battles ticking away in his mind's eye, he felt so very unprepared. Nothing he had experienced throughout the course of his adventure had been enough to prepare him for such a confrontation with pure evil itself. And as evil's Dark Beast came barreling down upon him, Link felt that in that moment there would be no hope for his survival. Surely, come the end of this fight-however it may end for Ganondorf-Link's life would be forfeit.

A sense of impending doom filled Link, and fear took hold of his bones, stapling his soles to the floor. He had previously resigned himself to such a fate, even accepted that it may be some fitting end to his journey, but that had been before he had come face-to-face with the King of Evil himself. Link stood there gazing into the glowing eyes of hatred and sin, consumed by its looming presence as the beast came closer and closer.

But something deep within Link broke through the black vines that gripped his soul, and the light of his spirit grew bright once more. It did not matter how impossible the task seemed. It did not matter how great or strong this beast was. It did not matter that with one miscalculation Link could be squashed like an insect.

What mattered were the lives of thousands who depended on Link's sacrifice. Whether he defeated this evil or not was directly related to whether the people would know peace or live in constant sorrow and a suffering that would never end.

It did not matter if Link died in making sure that the people lived.

Link's life was not his to own; it had never been. His life had always been meant to lead to this road, this path that led into the maw of darkness. His life had been foretold by the great goddesses, but he still had the choice to rise or fall. Link had had the choice very early on to take up his predestined path or to turn his back on the people that needed him. He had never asked to be a hero, never asked to be a leader, and he had had the choice to decline the honor so many times before, but something within him had always led him back to the same road … the road that had led him here.

The instant of his musings fell, and his heart burned with fire. The Dark Beast was nearly upon him when he finally shouted to Midna, and in a breath she had cast out a binding magic that rammed into the beast and slowed its descent. This gave Link the few seconds he needed to catch up, diving to the left under the slashing right claw of the beast. He next grabbed hold of a tuft of fur and leapt awkwardly to keep his firm grip as the beast twisted in the attempt to reach him.

Link twisted his blade and thrust it toward its side, but the beast jerked and shook its body and loosened its fur from the Hylian's fingers. Link soared into a nearby pillar and the hit winded him more from the pounding of his armor against his ribs. Gathering his breath quickly, Link ducked as the Dark Beast bounded after him, ramming into the pillar. The blow sent the sections of the beam crackling apart, and with a vibrating rumble, stones fell like hail from an unforgiving sky.

Link leapt and rolled out of the way of the tumbling debris all while dodging the sporadically slashing tusks and front claws of the beast. Midna tried to lure the beast from Link with a barrage of her magic, but her power seemed to have little effect now, as Ganondorf thrashed about in the embodiment of his full power. All she seemed able to do was slow the tyrant down enough to allow Link the chance to mount its back.

A true wrangler, the Hylian hero held onto the beast with fist clamped over a section of its flowing red mane. The Dark Beast kicked and reared and tossed its head in deep, angry growls, hell-bent on throwing Link to the ground in order to smite his body into a thousand bony shards. Whipped this way and that, Link found it near impossible to land a strike, and before he knew it his grip slipped away only to find himself able to latch back on at the last moments. Now, as the beast ran and danced its thrashing dance, Link held on to the middle of its quaking tail.

Down the left side of the throne room they went, flailing all about, smashing through pillars, until finally Link managed to get enough momentum behind his arm to thrust his sword at the beast. The hit landed against its hindquarters, trailing a long bloody gash from its lower back to the back of its right knee. The Dark Beast responded to this injury with a roar that vibrated through the walls like a gong, and a quick flick of its hind end sent Link flying like a child's plaything.

Unfortunately, his sword flew in the opposite direction, but equally as regrettable was the predicament in which Link found himself. He had been thrown so far and hard that his slick reflexes were his only savior, grabbing hold of the bottom pane of the large, open window where he now dangled in the heavy rains far above a blood red battlefield. Link grunted in his struggle to keep his grip as his fingers slipped against the wet stones. He wondered why the beast had not yet come to finish him, to jostle him free of his only lifeline and plummet to his death.

All he had heard was Midna's petite voice screeching his name in fear.

Taking every moment as if it were to be his last, he wrestled for handholds, and when a stone tumbled free below his left hand and sent him careening, his heart leapt into his throat. Surely, these were his final moments. His body twisted against his single handhold, gravity pulling his back to hit against the stone. His fingers struggled to keep himself aloft, and with a desperate swing of his weight, he twisted his body back around and grabbed for another break in the castle's surface … and at just the right time.

His right hand failed just as his left sunk its fingers onto the stones. Link flexed his right hand from the pain it had endured in maintaining his full bodyweight and then sought another place to grab for security against the fall that thirsted for him.

Struggling against all the elements-gravity, rain, his failing strength-Link pulled himself up to the opening again and let out a half-relaxed breath when he had managed to yank both elbows above the pane. His face red from exertion, the veins in his forehead pounding, he hung there a moment, his arms crossed above the stone as he dangled partially secure over its edge.

Looking into the throne room he now understood why the Dark Beast had not come after him. Midna had engaged the evil lord in battle. Her magic was no match for his brute force and power in his current state, but she was throwing everything she had at the beast in the hopes of wearing it down for-she hoped-Link's miraculous return. She had seen him catch onto the stone, and she knew that if Link were to have had any chance of surviving, her constant volley of attacks was the only distraction keeping him alive.

Link knew her strength was depleting by the second; they were both already so exhausted from the battle, and so he quickly pulled himself up and fell, clanking, into the room. He saw the beast's eyes snap to his position, and it let out an angry growl for having fallen victim to Midna's ruse. Midna, however, managed to maintain her assault, slowing the beast and enabling Link to pluck up his sword as he ran toward them. Link aimed his strike to land across the Dark Beast's underbelly with every intention to stab the swollen scar glowing there. Yet, within the last moments of his charge, the beast broke free of Midna's magical barriers and bared its maw of sharp yet gnarled teeth at the warrior, and instead, Link's attack landed a deep gash across its cheek.

The Dark Beast roared and barked. Link tried to back away before it attacked, but he and his sword were sailing through the air again before he could even catch his breath, the remainder of which was knocked out of him when he landed with a thud far across the room at the entrance. Link laid there a moment, trying to process what had just occurred. His mouth twisted in pain, his chest pounding from the hit, and he felt dazed as he tried to lift himself up. That was when he felt the faint trickle of blood from his forehead. He went to wipe away the sticky warmth and saw that his left forearm had also been injured. The two long-but thankfully not deep-cuts had surely been made by the beast's claws.

As Link pulled himself up he realized his mistake in letting his mind wander, even for that split moment, from the battle. He had let his pain take precedence over his enemy, and he feared it might cost him death or, in the very least, another barrage of injuries.

Luckily for Link, he had a partner. As the beast descended upon him, a magical barrier glimmered before the beast, and as it passed through the yellow magic its movements slowed. Midna's power could not stop the beast entirely, but this gave Link the extra seconds he needed to duck out of its path. When the creature again regained its full speed moments later, it bounded into the doorframe of the entrance.

A loud crack rumbled ruthlessly through the walls and floor, and an ominous popping and snapping echoed within the room. Link's eyes followed the large fissure that formed where the beast had hit as it splintered up and up and up, leaving cracks all along the stones. As the fracture reached the ceiling, Link knew what the booming groan that followed meant.

As he turned tail to run, dust rattled free from the cracks webbing throughout the ceiling above. The Dark Beast turned to chase Link, and the stones rained down behind their retreat, plunking onto the floor violently and shattering into even smaller pieces. As the different stones dropped free, the veins of destruction continued along the ceiling, stopping only when a near-fourth of the roof had been dislocated.

Link's only defense had been to run, and once he had cleared the chaos behind him he turned to watch as the beast followed. It had been caught within the rubble, however, blocked from its prey by a large piece of stonework that had collapsed directly in front of it. Enraged, the beast tossed its head and growled and slammed its claws into the ground, scraping them as if imagining the feel of cleaving Link's flesh from his bones. Its mane shook like a flurry of fire, and it smacked its head against the ground. Only … just before its skull impacted, its body disintegrated into black smoke.

Then just as quickly as its body had crumbled, the dark haze disappeared into nothing. This troubled Link. As he sent his searching gaze about the rubble and the rest of the room, he wondered what other enchantments Ganondorf had been waiting to implement. His powers were already far beyond anything he had thought possible. What was to come next, Link could not guess, but he thought it a trap. Lure him into a false security, bait him back toward his sword-the weapon he needed-and then set the trap. Link had taken a few steps back into the room-toward his blade-when he realized this possibility, and when he stopped suddenly, Midna appeared at his side. He wondered if she had been there while the ceiling had been falling in around him and if it had been by her aid that he had escaped unscathed.

Midna hugged closely by Link's side, watching every shadow and every corner for the reappearance of the Dark Beast. Her breath came in pants, trying to control her quaking body. The exertion of using her magic to such an extent had taken its toll on her. She was not sure how much power she had left to give, but she would stand by Link's side to fight until one or either of them no longer drew breath. She had made that vow.

With the Master Sword out of reach and the dagger on his belt out of the question-such close range would be suicide-Link only had one option of offense left. In one fluid motion, his bow was in hand with an arrow nocked and ready to fly.

Back-to-back they inched forward, knowing that when the Dark Beast reemerged they would need some initial momentum if they needed to leap out of the way. That and they did not much like the idea of being a standing target.

As they waited and watched for the beast, the rain came harder and louder, pounding against the stones behind them. Droplets rained down on them from the cracks in what remained of the section of the roof above them. Puddles already began forming around them, and the steady drops created a constant, soft melody against Link's armor as they bounced away. He kept his fingers steady against the wet bowstring as his eyes continued to dart around the chamber.

Everywhere he looked it seemed as though the faint outline of the Dark Beast's red mane was staring him down. He had to refuse every impulse of aiming at these shadows, for though they seemed to appear in every corner, he knew that they were just a trick, illusions of shadow to confuse the Dark Beast's prey. Link continued to edge forward and, though he did not take defense against any, he looked to each in turn as they appeared to be sure they were still just red shadows.

Link made every effort to inch his way down the chamber once more toward the throne of Zelda. He had discarded his shield nearly at the center of the chamber, and his blade was near the bottom of the stairs leading to the throne. With the entire entrance sealed off by the rubble of the ceiling and every last pillar on the left side knocked into dust and debris, there would be no avenue for retreat, which made reclaiming his sword and shield a priority.

A sound like the flutter of humming glass rang in Link's ears, calling him to danger behind. Quickly, he whipped about and at the slightest flicker of a red mane, he let loose his arrow … but it only pinged off the side of a stone.

An illusion, like the shadows. That was all it had been.

"Link!"

As his companion called his name, Link had already readied another arrow. He turned to face the middle of the chamber once again, and there it was, the fiery red mane emerging from some sort of dark portal. The reflection of the carpet made the shadows appear blue, and once the Dark Beast had rematerialized, the circular gateway blasted into nothingness just as quickly as it had come.

A scheme came to Link, lighting his eyes with new hope.

"Midna!" he cried as he aimed toward the beast's fast approaching body. Somehow she knew without further explanation what he requested. Perhaps now their bond had gone beyond the mere shadows they had shared for so long.

As the glaring yellow eyes charged toward them, the beast's tongue licking at its teeth hungrily, Midna snapped her fingers and an orange fire engulfed the tip of Link's arrow. Eyes reflecting the raging fire, Link plunged toward the beast as he aimed. He let the fiery arrow fly-the magical properties of it repelling the rain-and it sank straight into the beast's right ear. Not the target he had hoped for, the pain it delivered nothing but a pinprick, but something unexpected happened.

The fire licked at the beast's ear, and when it gave a quick shake of its head to dull the feeling, the flames leapt to the bouncing mane. The red shine became true flame as the embers jumped to each tendril of hair in turn. Within seconds, the beast's great mane had turned to rampant fire, smoke absent from its magical essence. This would have been a pleasant surprise to Link-who had to keep pace and take the sight in stride-but the fire did not appear to burn or cause the slightest grief to the Dark Beast. It became another complication to Link's already impossible challenge … and the rain would do nothing to extinguish it.

Link did not yield to this fiery beast and as he closed the space between himself and the growling creature, Link tossed away his bow and dropped into a roll right at the beast's forelegs. As the beast scratched at the tiny human, Link threw himself sideways in his roll, his right arm landing perfectly through the waiting straps of his abandoned shield. In the same motion Link twirled out of the roll, and in that roaring burst of motion, he used the base of his shield as a saber, bringing it down hard on the beast's left paw. The metal sank through the skin and muscle and bone to meet the stone below. The shriek that escaped Zant's god, Ganon, was enough to deafen all of Hyrule.

The beast responded immediately to the blistering pain by smacking its opposite set of claws against Link's body. The strike tossed Link to the side, and with a few jerks it freed itself from the shield's confinement. Leaving Link no time to scramble away, the beast pounced, trapping the little Hylian underneath the weight of its giant paw.

The only thing that had saved Link from the initial mass of the beast was the protection his armored breast provided, though … the weight was crushing and made him squirm underneath the Dark Beast. He struggled with all his might to keep the massive claws from gnawing the skin from his face. His cheeks boiled red from not only exertion but as each moment ticked by it became harder and harder to breathe.

At that moment Midna sailed toward Link's captor with volcanic fury in her eye and an orb of dark magic in her fist. Just as she cast her spell, however, the beast's opposite paw smacked her away like a puny ragdoll. Her magic immediately dissipated as she landed roughly at the base of a half-standing pillar. Link saw that she did not move and what gave him deeper fright was the slow trickle of blood that caressed her side. He could not see her face to know if she was still alive, and that terrible thought sent a burst of strength through him.

Link looked up at the beast, who seemed to smile against the backdrop of its flaming mane. Link fought a wave of nausea as its saliva dripped from its hungry, lusting teeth. The young Hylian tried to reach for the dagger on his belt, but his right arm was trapped under the weight of the beast, and his other held the claws at bay.

In a moment of desperation Link gave up his fight against the claws and stretched his arm out in the hopes of reaching his sword. The Master Sword was within spitting distance, but the inch still between his wriggling fingers and its guard was like a bird trying to reach the horizon … the distance never closed. His only reward was the searing pain of one of the beast's claws scraping against his cheek. Link responded by reclaiming his grip on the monster's claw, prying it away. Its white veins throbbed and Link could feel every sinew flexing as it crushed him.

_Please, just let Midna be alive. Let her live._

For any other man there would have been no escape from these jaws of death, for no amount of strength or wit would have been mighty enough. But, for Link, the chosen hero, this silent prayer he had sent out to any god that would listen was enough to reignite any star in the sky.

The back of his hand burst with a sudden golden light which blinded the creature just long enough to unbalance it. Link choked on the air reentering his crushed breast and rolled over to his sword as the beast righted its posture. Before the beast could attack, Link swung his saber with a growl bellowing from behind gritted teeth. The speed and ruthlessness of the strike cut through one of the Dark Beast's tusks like a brittle bough.

With its tusk cut cleanly in half, the beast raged and fire leapt from its mane to Link's cheek when it head butted him in reaction. The hit knocked Link back but it did not ground him, and he was actually thankful for the burn. The fire had no doubt sealed his wounded and boiled away any infection from the beast's gritty claws. Not waiting for a repeat performance, Link retreated.

He ran toward where Midna had gone down as he sheathed his sword. The exertion pained him with the dented breastplate digging into his lungs. Link scooped up Midna just as the Dark Beast gave chase, but Link hopped up and around the gathered debris. The grounded stones provided a makeshift shelter for the wounded pair, the perfect buffer between them and the beast that tried to rattle more stones loose upon them.

Link knew they did not have much time anyway, for even if dislodged stones did not kill them, there was no telling if the beast would have any mind to abandon the chase in order to slay the unprotected Princess Zelda.

Link looked down to Midna when he heard her gasp, and as she rolled out of his arms to sit with her back against the stone same as he, Link noticed the two long cuts on her side. She grimaced, cupping a hand tentatively over the wounds. As the stones behind them rocked and threatened to crumble onto them, Link sat trying to come up with a solution. He had escaped death at the hands of this beast several times within mere minutes. If he continued with his current strategies, both he and Midna would likely be dead within another few.

The task seemed insurmountable by all odds. A tiny man versus a beast of such strength and magnitude….

His breath caught in his chest both at the sudden idea that came to him and the damaged suit that now made breathing impossible. He struggled against the tightness, but the clasps that held the pieces together had been broken and twisted from the battle. No matter how much he wrestled with the clasps they would not loose.

Hearing Link's desperate gasps for air, Midna looked up to him. She saw his pain as he let his hands fall from his attempts at prying his armor from his body. He met her gaze with exhausted eyes, and a look of defeat washed over them both. Yet, as he looked into his partner's weak eyes, he found his reason for fighting … for living. He had to continue; he could not lie down and surrender.

Midna could see his struggle to carry on, his soul's need to overrule his body's fatigue. There was at least one thing she could do for him.

With a snap of her fingers, the clasps of his armor loosened, leaving Link able to peel the layers from his torso. The rush of air into his lungs rejuvenated him, and after giving Midna a nod of thanks, he let his head fall back against the rumbling stone. Closing his eyes, he got used to the idea of unhindered breathing again as he thought over the idea that had come to him.

They were quickly running low on time to act as the roars of the Dark Beast continued and the stones at their backs jostled and threatened to tumble down. Link swept the beads of sweat from his brow, and it was with a defeated countenance, lips pursed and brows furrowed in fear, that he extended an upturned palm to Midna. It took him a moment to explain his desire as she looked at him expectantly. In that moment his crushed demeanor shifted to one of acceptance. True, he feared what his choice might make him suffer, but … he was not afraid of the choice.

"Zant's crystal," he breathed. "The one that changed me before." He looked to Midna. "Give it to me."

She remembered his continuous reluctance to use the dark magic to his advantage, especially in Snowpeak when the coat of the wolf would have kept him warm. She remembered how the magic had turned him mindless and was sure that this combined with the pain of the transformation had kept him from using the crystal. She knew he would not make the decision lightly.

Midna pulled out the crystal in a puff of shadow and set it gingerly in his hand.

Link looked at the crystal, the embodiment of Zant's magic, with a wondering eye. This was his only option. More than that, however, he thought that perhaps this was the will of the goddesses who had cursed-no, blessed-him. Had it not been for his ability to transform into the beast, Ganondorf would have already won. There would have been no one in Hyrule with the capability to oppose him and free the lands from Twilight.

This was his destiny.

Still, he had his concerns. "I don't know if I'll end up like I was before," he said. "Midna, if I … if I lose myself again…." He locked his eyes on hers. "You're the only one who can bring me back."

He said it with such emotion, such trust, that it nearly brought a tear to Midna's eye. And perhaps this was his way of expressing that something he had always left unspoken. Link gave Midna a quick, reassuring smile-that special smile that had brought fire to her icy heart-and plunged the crystal straight into his chest … into his heart.

Link's eyes widened at the sudden warmth that burst into him. He had prepared himself for the horrors that the transformation brought, but the sharp, knifelike feeling did not bring pain. Instead, it was as if his very soul had become a beacon of light. It felt strange, unlike anything he had ever felt before, but so similar to the night the Master Sword had stripped the darkness from his body. He wondered if the blade of evil's bane was the device that had disallowed the terror of shape shifting, or … perhaps it was that of all the times he had previously transformed, this was the first time that he had accepted it as an extension of himself, a true part of his identity.

Whatever the reason, when the tendrils of shadow spread over him and engulfed him, he did not cry out. There was no pain. He calmly embraced the new sensation and discovered that without pain he could feel the true radiance he suspected the beast had always possessed but that he had been too blind with pain and contempt to notice before.

Midna watched how Link's eyes remained serene as they became those of the wolf, and she was surprised how his body did not clench with spasms of pain. She did not understand how something that had delivered such unfathomable torture by the shore of Lanayru could now be something so gentle, and as he then stood on all fours and ruffled his full coat of fur, she thought that the white patterns from his underbelly shined with renewed gloss. The presence of the Master Sword perhaps. Then again … transformation should have been impossible since he still wore the Sheikah cloak.

It was clear there was a different kind of magic at work with so many powerful objects brought together as one. The cloak, the Master Sword, the dark crystal. Even Link himself who bore the mark of the goddesses.

Midna could not begin to understand.

Link leapt up through the rubble of the pillars, and when he perched on top of the pile, the Dark Beast stopped its assault. Its bright yellow eyes met the crystal blue of Link's and it flailed its mane of fiery hair and bared its teeth in a show of strength, urging the new incarnation of its victim to the challenge. A growl built in Link's lupine throat and he replied with a bark, showing rows of sharp teeth that glistened as if shards of the Master Sword itself.

As Link made his way to the floor of the throne room in just two leaps, he was reminded just how limber this body was. Having four legs to guide his every move gave him an additional burst of speed. He growled and barked as he drew closer to the Dark Beast, and as Link's hunkered and carefully stepping body circled the red and black monster, it gave a final roar before descending on the tiny wolf.

Link danced around every swipe of its claws with perfect timing, and in a matter of seconds he was alongside the beast and hopped up onto its side. The wolf's claws dug into the skin of the beast, keeping him grounded against the now reeling beast. Not even waiting for it to slam back down on its forelegs, Link scurried across its skin as if he were climbing a tree back in Ordon.

When he came to the brightest part of the white scar at its underbelly, Link sunk his teeth into the light … or, he would have.

In the instant before Link's maw clapped onto the exposed tissue, the Dark Beast tossed its body into a roll, which forced Link to abandon his position lest he be crushed by the weight of the beast. However, he did not entirely give ground, for as the monster tumbled, he spun up and around or under whichever way he needed to stay aloft. He paid no mind to the raging fire that flickered throughout its mane, even though it threatened to turn his tail to ashes on more than one turn of the beast.

As the beast slowed, staggered most likely from both its dizzying countermeasure and Link's impossible ability to remain buzzing around it like a fly on dung, it took a moment for it to recover. Sharp, stinging pains no doubt raged within its body from the multiple small cuts delivered from Link's claws. It was during this intermission that Link pounced on the opportunity for another attempt to attack its underside, but as he dove under the pit of its foreleg it rammed itself into one of the only columns left standing. The hit jolted both of them, and it served to dislodge Link from the beast's arm.

Before Link could shake off his landing, the Dark Beast pounded a sharp set of claws against him that tossed him a few meters back. Winded only slightly from the hit, Link gathered himself to his feet in moments … but with a minor limp. He tossed a gaze to his aching side and three vicious cuts ran along his side and leg. When he looked back to the monster it was giving him yet another growling smirk.

Link's lips parted to an angry grumble in his throat. He charged at the beast and again feigned this way and that until his claws took hold of its tough skin once more. The Dark Beast tried to ram its body into the pillar over and over to dislodge the wolf again, but this time it seemed that the small animal would not release its hold.

Biting and ripping at the beast's body sent it into a rage. It flailed and bucked and smashed its body into the edges of the room as it ran along the walls while Link continued to attack. He was determined nothing the beast did would send him spiraling away as he had so many times before. Every other clamp of his teeth or thrashing of his claws would draw up a yelp or malevolent roar from the beast.

Blood dripped and poured from wounds on both beast and wolf. Then, taking his steps with both care and speed, Link was again at the underbelly of the beast. This time before it could dislocate him, he slashed his teeth violently across the great white scar.

The Dark Beast reared and Link knew that his attack had truly wounded it, weakened it. After a repeated bite, however, it was impossible to keep hold of the belly as the beast toppled from the pain. Link leapt away as its massive form slammed into the floor, sending an echo of vibrations through the stonework.

Four flailing legs kept Link from its blemished underside. It tossed its head, livid wails thundering into the air. All Link had was his lupine instincts.

He pounced.

And landed at the beast's neck.

In only a few seconds, Link had nuzzled his way to the soft flesh of the wild beast's neck and bit down. Hard. With his prey's throat in his maw he tossed his head like any hound during the kill. Yanking and pulling. Growling. He could taste the blood on his tongue now, could feel how it sapped away the energy of the beast. He could feel the heat of the fire that shaped its mane, could hear and feel its struggle.

In the next moment, the Dark Beast stopped wailing … stopped fighting … stopped everything.

Its large belly no longer rose and fell. Its jaw hung open in a silent roar and its eyes stared with a dim shadow.

The Wolf had slain the Beast.

Link leapt down from the thrashed neck and after tossing a long look back at the Dark Beast to be sure it was truly dead, he took a few steps away. He closed his eyes and in a warm and bright flash of light he was almost instantaneously transformed into his human self once again. There was no pain, no pounding crack of bones, no swelling ache of his insides remolding. He breathed in human air once more and saw with human eyes.

But the taste of warm blood was still wet on his tongue as it covered his lips and dripped down a corner of his chin. He spat out a mouthful of its stickiness, but nothing could cleanse the sour taste from his mouth. He gazed back at the Dark Beast. At last, his ultimate foe lay dead in a puddle of crimson and rainwater. The fire that had defined its mane was no longer, and all that remained was the charred residue of what had once been fine red hair.

Link looked to where he had left Midna and saw that she had managed to climb to the top of the rubble at some point during his fight with the beast. He saw the relief in her face, not only that the Dark Beast had been killed but that Link had indeed not lost himself to the dark magic. Link could not manage a smile of reassurance, but the bright sparkle in his eyes told her that it was indeed over. She slunk down against the rocks, thankful at last that they had come to the end. Link was safe. His world was safe. And with the death of the evil tyrant her realm was free at last. That was all she wanted.

He started toward her to help her down, but his foot scraped against something. At first he thought it a stone jostled loose from the battle and paid it no mind, but when he glanced from mere reflex, he realized it was the dark crystal. It seemed an ordinary thing among the ruined chamber, but the power it held was unimaginable. Something in Link, an ache in his bones, told him that the time of the divine beast was over. He had taken its form for the last time. With the Dark Beast dead, the people of Hyrule would no longer need the great wolf to protect them.

It was not on some whim that he drew the Master Sword. He understood now the truth of the divine beast. It was part of who and what he was. Now that he had finally accepted that, had called on the power not only because he needed it but because he finally understood it … he thought perhaps that had been the purpose of his journey all along. Not only protecting Hyrule but discovering and believing in who he truly was.

With a swift downward thrust, the tip of the Master Sword scattered the dark crystal into powerless shards, and in the silence that followed, Link unclasped Zelda's cloak from his shoulders and let it fall to the floor. No longer did he need its protection.

No longer did he fear the Twilight.


	47. Chapter 43

**Chapter 43: Her Sacrifice**

After assisting Midna down from the wreckage, Link took a turn about the room to collect his scattered weapons, and more out of habit than necessity did he shoulder his bow. Midna still favored her side where the marks of the Dark Beast had bloodied her white and black skin, but she ignored the now mildly stinging pain as she rose to glide toward Princess Zelda.

Zelda, a princess frozen in twilight, a suffocated candle, yet still her porcelain face shined. The princess had lived without soul for some time now, forced to exist upon the brink. She sat as an empty vessel, and as Midna looked upon her, a thousand thoughts ran the course of her mind and tangled into one emotion. Respect. Adoration. Gratitude. These were but a few of those strands that came together to form something beyond words. Midna's lips sank into a single, unreadable line, and when she turned to find Link approaching the throne, she tossed a glance behind him.

The Dark Beast. The wretched king who had used everyone as his toys, mere puppets to his fancy. The line of her mouth twisted into a small frown. It was the fault of this dead king that Zant had come to power, that her people had fallen into suffering … that Link had faced death's door countless times.

As she looked at the beast something in her screamed. She thought it just a pessimistic twinge when the feeling entered her that Ganondorf had truly not been slain. To think this way was ridiculous, however, for she could see clearly that the beast no longer drew breath. Perhaps it was simply a victor's shock in finally reaching a goal that had for so long seemed so distant … so unattainable.

She looked to Link for comfort and when their eyes met all her unrest was smothered. This boy. No, this man … this Hero. They had known each other for so short a time, and yet … Midna felt as though a lifetime had passed. She felt so complete with him at her side that she could not remember her life before his strong sapphire eyes.

Link took his place at Midna's side and turned his gaze behind him. At the base of the throne stairs laid the beast now abolished from Hyrule's long nightmare. The Hero stood in silence, taking in the sound of the rain. At the dawn of this night the rain had brought death from thundering skies, but now … it was a cleansing waterfall that slowly wiped away the trails of blood that had tarnished these halls. But, Link thought, no amount of rain could possibly purge his memory of the needless bloodshed he had witnessed. The crimson tides that had been spilled during the course of his journey could have dyed even the pure blue of Lake Hylia a permanent shade of death.

A sudden light drew his attention to Midna. Her body gleamed like the moon awash with starlight. Dancing particles swirled about her as she hovered there. She stretched out her arms, eyes wide as she looked over herself. Surprise and amazement filled her and for an instant, her eye closed. It was the strangest feeling, as if suddenly all color had consumed the dark of night, filling every corner with light and emotion and a whirl of life. The feeling took her breath away as the warmth that had once sustained her bled from every pore until only the cool mist of shadow remained within her. She watched as the particles of light soared one by one into Zelda. Their flight left Midna somewhat hollow inside, but yet … never had she felt more complete.

Princess Zelda's natural glow returned to her fair skin, and Link's eyes followed the trail of light as it passed from one princess to the next. When his eyes fell on the Hyrulean princess he could not bring himself to look away. At last he would look upon her living body with his natural eyes and at long last would his princess see the true man behind the wolf.

When her eyes opened, Link's breath caught. Her gaze remained downcast as the essence of her life was restored. Her lips parted in a soft breath, but she lingered in silence for a long time.

Midna blinked, wondering what thought or feeling it was that passed through those youthful, wise eyes. She thought perhaps Zelda could feel some residual energy of the twilight of her soul just as Midna had felt the lingering presence of Zelda's light. The imp tried to ask it of her, tried to ensure that the princess was indeed whole again, tried to explain … tried to thank her.

"Princess? I … I…." Her tongue became water as the right words slipped away.

Princess Zelda slowly shifted her body, settling back into the feel of it, righting her posture. "Say nothing, Midna." Her voice was as soft and kind as silk. She looked into the imp's eyes with deepest empathy then turned her gaze inward. "Your heart and mine were as one, however briefly…." She touched her silk covered fingers to her breast, remembering the emotions she had felt when living inside the small, cursed imp. "Such suffering you have endured…."

Midna's lip quivered. Every cruel thing that had happened to her came rushing back in that single moment, but she refused to loose her tears. This princess had seen the deepest, darkest corners of her. In the past had Zelda sympathized for her, she would have matched such kindness with a snide retort. But now, near the end of Hyrule's twilight, Midna could only bow her eyes in deepest humility. Finally, at the end of the terrors, could Midna accept what had happened to her. Her curse and her banishment had been most agonizing, but she had learned more as Link's companion than her father had ever managed. The thought of him, the thought of that wise, kind king trying his best to maintain a kingdom and a mischievous, unruly daughter…. To think that Link, hero of Hyrule, had been able to teach her more in his selfless adolescence than a king…. Link was a hero with the heart of a king. The thought of his greatness made her feel unworthy of every luxury she had ever been afforded.

In Midna's silence Zelda had turned her attention to Link, whose stare had remained transfixed in the princess's renewed majesty. She rose from her throne and seemed about to say something to the Hero when a sudden flash and crackle of fire made each of them jump. At first they thought it the lightning on the wind, but the yellow flicker behind them alerted them to danger. Zelda-facing the throne room-was the first to see it … the rising tide of yellow flame bursting forth from the corpse of the Dark Beast.

When Link and Midna turned to the scene, the embers of shadow boiled the body of the beast into yellow ash that splintered off like a thousand needles into the room. Everywhere the darts landed flame followed, until the entire room had been consumed in its dull grace. The surrounding fire did not breathe heat; instead, it brought a different presence, a kind of smoky weight that pressed against their chests and choked their souls.

Instinctively, Midna closed the distance from Link's side as a new body began to rise from the flames and ash of the deceased beast. Eyes of evil gold turned up to glare upon the three bodies at the throne, and in seeing the body of Ganondorf rising once more-made entirely of yellow and black fire-she realized why she had felt so hesitant of his death.

A guttural laugh bellowed forth from every corner of the fire as Midna remembered the words of Zant. _"Foolish Twilight Princess…. The curse was placed on you … by the magic of my god!"_

Had they truly slain the king of evil would not the curse on her have been broken? Or was it still foolish of her to think that such a powerful curse could be dispelled by the death of its caster? Perhaps she truly was destined to remain this way forever.

Link tossed a hand out behind him to act as Zelda's shield. He took a few steps back, at a loss how to kill a foe he had already defeated in two bouts already. Or had those defeats even been victories at all? Perhaps they had just been the precursor to this king's true power.

Link had no plan, no method of attack. How was he expected to conquer such an enemy? How had the armies of old been able to subdue such a creature?

Midna, too, was uncertain of their chances. Staring into the burning eyes of Zant's god, she found no answer in how to defeat him. Perhaps her magic was an ancient art, a petty tool in the eyes of this man, but it-and the strength she had found in being Link's companion-was all she had. For so long she had watched over him, watched as he stepped in to protect the innocent, the weak, the injured. Link had faltered at times during their journey, that was true, but he had always fought past his doubts to be reborn with new courage.

It was that same courage Midna breathed in when she spoke. "Link, you've given everything to protect the people of this realm … and of a realm of shadows…." She did not look at her companion as she spoke, but she could feel his gaze turn to her, feel the tension in his very bones. "You've fought and bled…." Midna could not find the words she truly wished to say. There was so much to say, but all she could muster was, "Now, I return the favor for the light."

If there was one way she could expunge her past sins it was this.

Link had stood frozen with shock at her words that by the time he realized her true intent, the Fused Shadows already circled her frame. Though the world continued to spin on, it felt to Link as though he moved slower than was possible. His words caught in his throat, the fright of what he knew she intended strangling his ability to say anything. Sounds burst from him, breaths catching in his mouth, gasps that struggled to put syllables into words. With a hand he reached for her, trying against time to touch her, to stop her, but suddenly a sick feeling stirred behind his navel. With a paralyzing jolt of cold energy he stopped entirely and his lungs collapsed as he stared wide-eyed at Midna.

Quicker than a flash of lightning his body rained upward as bits of shadow. For only an instant as his body dispersed could he still see what lie beneath in the throne room. In that moment-one forever frozen into his soul-he saw Midna, looking up … smiling. The most genuine smile covered her lips as she watched him depart, and just before the Fused Shadows closed in around her tiny frame and before his window into the world below had closed, he heard her whisper one final time….

"See you later."

===============

Link's arm was still outstretched when he rematerialized. His breath caught in his chest when he no longer saw Midna beyond his fingers. His lips closed tightly around the words he had wanted to speak. He cast his glance about wildly in search of Midna even though he knew he would not find her shadow in any corner of the land around him.

He found only Princess Zelda alongside him, passing her gaze about in the same confusion.

Eldin field, Link realized. Southeast of Hyrule Castle Town.

He stepped up to her as his eyes turned, squinting at the dawning horizon. In another hour or so, a new day would be born. The rain had stopped, but many of the clouds remained, threatening to conjure storm and thunder anew.

But the clouds brought forth a different storm.

Like a million drumming needles, black raindrops pounded the earth and brought forth thousands of bodies. Most of them were soldiers-some in mid-swing against now invisible foes-and others were cowering citizens who had either elected to stay behind or been too frightened to flee. Every one of them wore a countenance of bewilderment. Murmurs and screams passed throughout the large group, each questioning the other for information in what had happened.

None had answer, and Link realized in that moment, looking across all the startled faces as each in turn found the distant towers of Hyrule Castle, that Midna had not only exiled Zelda and him from the threat of Ganondorf … but she had summoned up so much power that she had excised every last man, woman, and child from the castle grounds and town. She had cast them away in the hopes of saving them.

She had pushed Link away … because she cared.

Link turned to Zelda and the princess looked from the multitudes to him. Quiet understanding also lit her eyes, and just as she was stretching out a hand to console his loss, a crackle thundered through the sky, resonating from the direction of the castle.

Every eye looked to the castle in the silent moment that followed and watched in horror as splinters of lightning burst forth from the center of the castle. In one instant the castle stood strong against the sky. In the next the sparks flew out from the throne room to crash into the towers and battlements, breaking stones free from every wall. As sections of the castle crumbled into nothing, the throne room suddenly exploded. A great flurry of stone and dust scattered into the sky. The miniature shockwave that reached them in the moments that followed was not strong enough to send them to their backs, but the sight itself-a hurricane of smoke concealing whatever might remain of the castle-was everything to paralyze even the toughest soldiers. Every limb of every man and woman grew numb at the sight, and those who had had swords raised in previous defenses could barely grip their hilts any longer. Most could not close their eyes at the sight, others still blinked repeatedly as if trying to wipe away the impossibility.

Thunderstruck, Link peeled his eyes from the castle to Zelda once more. Her jaw hung agape in disbelief. She clutched her chest, perhaps trying to feel for her own heartbeat. It was like some cruel nightmare. Surely she was dreaming and when the sun rose upon the eastern horizon, so would she.

But no matter how much Link wished this to be some elaborate dream world, some horrible mirage, he knew that this was their reality, and his only thought as he looked back to the ruined castle was of Midna.

Many would have died in such an explosion. Her courageous sacrifice had saved thousands from needless, brutal deaths. Not long ago she would have gladly let the people of the light realm die in the hopes that she would survive to the coming dawn. Now, however, she had willingly, knowingly, given up her life for every one of them.

Could she have survived such a blast? Link kept thinking that some miracle was sure to transpire, that Midna would come flying over the northern hilltops to reclaim her place at his side. But through the long silence that followed the destruction of the castle, no soul emerged from the clouds of black smoke. He did not know how long it was that he had stood there, staring at those hilltops, awaiting the return of Midna before Zelda laid a hand on his arm.

Her touch broke through the poison of his denial, and then came the guilt that strangled him. He looked down to his hand, and hand that had tried in vain to grab Midna, fingers that had long ago coiled around Midna's with a promise.

_"Wherever it is you go…"_ he had said.

Now … she was in the one place where he could not follow. To even try would be to disgrace her last action.

That was when Link heard it. Gasps turning to yelps. Murmurs becoming urgent whispers, demanding answers. Link raised his gaze once more to the field. As the whispers grew louder more heads turned toward the hilltops upon which Link had silently begged to see his companion appear. With the crowd closing in more tightly, however, Link could barely see whatever it was that had drawn their attention. In the distance he spotted a bloodied Rusl, and even the blacksmith stood pointing toward the hills.

Link's breath caught, the brightest hope spreading like fire through his veins, rekindling his ability to move. With careful steps at first, he made his way through the crowd. His longing to see Midna alive and well accelerated his footfalls until he was nearly stumbling along, jostling and pushing his way past the swarm of confused soldiers and citizens.

When he at last reached the head of the assembly, he stopped and squinted up at the dark figure that stood in the distance. At first he thought it a prank of the smoke that fluttered behind the figure, but then he realized the awful truth.

Whatever hope had been restored within Link was swiftly brushed aside like a blow to the face. What he had mistaken for smoke took its true shape as a tattered red and black cape, flapping in the remaining gusts of the night.

There sat the sinister Ganondorf astride a mount as black as his heart.

His horse neighed and reared onto its hind legs as the grinning king held up a triumphant hand. But the gesture was more than just that, Link realized. His fist held an object, a trophy … in the shape of a Fused Shadow. Not just any piece, however. This particular section was the very piece that Midna had used as her headdress; it had been like her single article of clothing, and Link had never seen her without it.

It was the single piece of evidence that proved what Link had wished to deny.

"Do you think mere trinkets will slay me?" the evil one screamed in amused disgust.

Link's heart leapt into his throat and he could not swallow its pain. Memories of his partner flooded into his brain. Her callous laugh when they first met, her hand dragging him from the water of Lake Hylia, her confession before their trek into the desert, her encouragement when he had faltered, her giggle at his clumsiness…. He remembered her pain when the truth of her identity had come to light. He remembered the way she felt when he had held her in his arms after the breaking of the barrier.

He remembered her last, kind smile as he was pulled away from her.

All those memories crashed into dust when Ganondorf's fist tightened around the Fused Shadow. It crumbled under his power and its shards and ashes collapsed into a pile on the grass beneath him.

A rage that Link had never felt and did not understand fumed in his blood. He grabbed for the Master Sword in the same instant the evil one waved the blade of the sages above his head, his pride pulling his lips into a crooked smile. In Ganondorf's mind he had already won, but Link would prove him wrong. He would wipe his smirk away in a river of blood. He would split his skull. He would drive his sword through his heart. He would gut him like the pig he was.

Ganondorf charged ahead, trampling the remains of Midna. Lust empowered Ganondorf and he was soon joined by ghostlike riders that galloped in formation at his flanks. They were mere phantoms conjured by his power, but already they served their purpose, for the Hylian knights behind Link were screaming and begging for orders, pleading for someone to tell them how to survive. Link could hear the general barking commands behind him, but none of that mattered to him. Their voices were like irksome bees, and Link's sole interest were the eyes of Ganondorf … those cold, yellow eyes that sought to undo every soul he had saved along his journey. Malevolent eyes that clawed at Link's heart.

Link held the Master Sword so tightly that it was as if its hilt has fused into him, become an extension of his arm. Every thread of his being wanted this. Every thought screamed for the death-the execution-of this tyrant … this murderer.

Delicate fingers touched his hand then, jolting him free from his tangled emotions so suddenly that he stumbled before looking to his side and finding the glow of Princess Zelda there.

He was no cruel executioner. Even in the face of his overwhelming grief and rage, he could not forget who and what he was. He was the Hero for whom Midna had laid down her life. He was the man that Midna had come to respect and care for with every strand of her soul. To act in anger, to kill in a hasty fury, would only serve to dishonor her memory further.

Zelda felt Link's hand slacken its grip slightly and she nodded, understanding how difficult it was to let go of the burning rage that made his eyes shimmer.

This did not, however, stop the charging Ganondorf and his minions. Link looked to Zelda for guidance, and as the soldiers formed into hasty ranks behind them … Zelda bowed her head.

And prayed.

"Spirits of the light … wielders of the great power that shines far and wide upon the lands of our world…"

Link looked back to Ganondorf. The king was closing fast. Link's heart drummed. He could see the red eyes of the king's nightmarish steed now.

"In my hour of need, grant me the light to banish evil!"

Zelda's voice boomed with an unnatural echo, like the words of a goddess stretching into every valley and to the top of every peak.

Just as Ganondorf would have trampled them, Link felt his veins explode in warmth and heard something like the deafening hum of crystal carried by the flash of a blinding, golden light.


	48. Chapter 44

**Chapter 44: Light unto Wisdom**

The rhythmic ebb and flow of water filled a new world. An endless tide of liquid light met a screen of darkness upon the horizon. The black veil stretched to every horizon and to the highest peak of a starless sky. Only the golden white light at Link's toes filled this dead world with light, and with its essence everything existed within nothing. As he stood upon its surface, its spirit filled him with such peace that it was like living weightless on a cloud. Life-pure life, of every soul and wind known upon Hyrule-filled him to the brim.

Gazing into the water he spied only light, the radiance, the life-force of the spirits and the goddesses. He saw the light reflected in his eyes, and for a moment he forgot all earthly troubles. He closed his eyes, and breathed in the wonder, breathed in the life of the world.

Link opened his eyes when he heard the familiar singing and humming of the light spirits. In perfect harmony they seemed to dance around him. All four were there. Ordona, Faron, Eldin, and Lanayru. Each gave their voice to the song of light, each adding a layer of perfection to the whole.

As their graceful and godlike dance continued, Link watched as they blossomed into simple, radiant light. Within seconds they became the very treasures Link had seen them guard, orbs of whirling starlight. Their ballet continued as they skipped across the ocean underfoot to the only other human body present within their world. They coalesced around her, Princess Zelda, and as she breathed they splashed into her in a great flash of white.

Link approached her as the light of the spirits dimmed yet left her skin glowing brighter still than her natural essence. He did not know what depths this magical ocean reached, whether he walked upon its surface or if it was an ocean floor mere inches beneath its beauty, but he felt weightless as he stepped toward the princess. With each step he took, the droplets splashed from his soles and into the water again like a fairy's dust trailing behind him.

Zelda's head remained bowed for a long moment, and Link came to a stop just meters from her. The light pooled around his boots and tethered him there gently. When the princess raised her head and looked upon him, he saw in her gentle eyes a wisdom far beyond her youth. He had seen it within her before, but now it seemed truly awakened. For a sliver of time she looked like a true queen. The lines of worry and the weight of her rule were written across her face, but the glow of her spirit allowed no wrinkle to steal her fair complexion.

A moment later she breathed out in a small smile. Collecting herself, bringing herself to the full height of her office, she spoke Link's name and it rang out across the void of light and dark like her words had on Eldin Field.

"You are the Chosen Hero," she said, and as she spoke, it was as if the spirits spoke through her, a vessel of their-and the gods'-great wisdom. How many times they had called him this….

Link looked into her eyes and could see all the ages reflected back onto him. She knew how much he had given to her kingdom already, and an apologetic gleam came into their sparkle. With a most regal and humble bow, she asked in solemn grace, "Lend us the last of your courage."

Link stood unmoving for a moment, understanding what it was, truly, that the princess requested. He had given up his personal dreams to attend to the needs of Hyrule and its people long before he had known the truth of his blood. Not only did the princess bow to him in respect in her call for aid, but he knew that her gesture also proved to be a crossroads. She wanted, needed, his help, but she was so kind in providing him the offer to refuse, to turn away and find peace in whatever life he could forge in the ashes of the battle to come … win or lose.

Yet, he did not hesitate when he presented his hand to her. Win or lose, he would fight. He would never forgive himself if he chose this moment, the climax of his journey, to turn away.

He held his hand out to her, and Zelda straightened her back and cupped her hand over his.

Her graceful wisdom met his unmatched courage and the warmth of light enveloped them in a crystalline hum.

In that very instant they were returned to their reality.

===============

Link had left Hyrule when its dawn was nigh, but when he opened his eyes to its sky once more, orange had deepened and darkness had bled anew from its clouds. Crimson rivulets painted the green stalks around him, and the somber yet fierce choirs of steel disoriented him. Their echoes against the surrounding canyons entrapped him, bringing him into full awareness of the massive battle that had broken ground since his and princess's disappearance.

Link's nausea wore off slowly as he turned in circles, taking in the sight of the Hylians crossing blades with dark warriors of all manifestations. The pawns of Ganondorf's army, the mercenary bulblins and bokoblins, had no doubt taken the brunt of the Hylians' brute force. Dark knights and phantom riders also flitted in and out of the two armies. One swing from these foes ended in death or near-mortal injury to all those in its path.

"Your Highness!" a scream called. Link turned to the voice, as did Zelda, who stood beside him.

He immediately recognized the man. The square-jawed general of Princess Zelda's army. When the general had called out, many of his soldiers had also taken notice, and without need for command, they had immediately redirected their battle tactics to create a defensive circle around their sovereign and the Hero. After butting a bokoblin across the temple with his shield, the general approached his princess.

Link heard murmurs from the line of men, comments of, "I thought they'd abandoned us!" or "The Hero returns!" and even "The gods have answered our prayers!"

The general, his eyes severe and difficult to read, came to a stop before them. Though he seemed indifferent to the fighting occurring all around them, he spoke with an urgent quickness. "Princess, you should not be on this battlefield. My men will give this force pause while the young _hero_ takes you to refuge in Kakariko."

The way he regarded Link told him everything he could have guessed. The general was still not pleased that Link had deceived him, especially since his con had not resulted in the death of their foe. Had Link been successful in his plot he thought perhaps his reception would have been much warmer. The general, therefore, had no reason to trust the hero with the art of battle. Yet, since he wished to charge Link with the protection of Hyrule's most prized possession, he thought there was some approval in him. A reluctant concession, but recognition all the same.

"I will not abandon my people," objected Zelda.

"Princess-" the general began, but another voice interrupted his scolding.

It was Rusl's shriek that alerted them. "Another force approaches!" The blacksmith pointed to the west, the place in the sky where darkness always began with each turn of the sun and moon. Now, near morning, darkness spawned out of season. When Link turned to look, he recognized the shapes immediately.

Shadow beasts.

An entire army of them.

At the foreground stood the usurper King of Shadows. Zant. Revived and born into this realm by the power of his god, the mighty Ganon. His sickly shriek announced his presence to all and sent shivers throughout the battlefield. Many Hylians quaked in seeing a support force and squealed in terror, begging their general, their princess-their every god-for mercy. None of these men had witnessed shadow beasts or their slavemaster king. Fear for the dark unknown shattered the spirits of most, but Link had met these creatures. He had fought Zant.

Link glared in the direction of the helmed creature of night. This was the unkempt, unruly king who had stolen Midna's rightful place.

Zelda knew this monster as well. It was he who had impregnated her castle with his darkness, commanded his enslaved pets to strangle the life from her finest men, the false king who had stolen her kingdom with her unconditional surrender.

The general recognized the shadow king from reputation and descriptions from his men who had suffered when Zant had first taken hold of Hyrule.

But Zelda and Link both knew that to kill Zant was futile. He would simply rise again as long as the heart of the true sinister king continued to beat.

Zelda turned back to the general, her eyes empowering the words her soft, small voice spoke. "You and your men must continue to press the attack. We must make our stand together. But it will mean nothing unless Ganondorf is defeated," she said, and the general knew better than to oppose his princess at this juncture. She had always had a wisdom beyond her years; he had even known her to have outwitted her brilliant father a few times. "Link and I will engage Ganondorf while the army provides us recess from his forces."

She could tell that the general wished to object for her safety, but he did not disobey. Perhaps there was even a twinkle of pride in hearing her words and seeing how her strength and her courage bolstered the resolve of the surrounding men. He had always held devoted loyalty and affection for the princess, but in this moment his reverence of Princess Zelda was magnified a thousand fold.

As the general bowed and turned back to his men, Zelda turned to Link. Now, they needed to locate Ganondorf on the battlefield.

Link's veins throbbed with a renewed jolt of vengeance that was hard to calm. He had already found the demon king, riding through the masses a great distance from them. He and the sage-blade tore through the army in wicked turns, as his horned phantom riders picked through the pieces of his massacre while others still fanned out behind him to rain despair into the hearts of other Hylians.

Steeling himself against his rage, Link bottled its power and allowed it to refortify his strength. Using it as an ally instead of letting it poison his heart against his mind would mean the difference between victory and defeat.

Link whistled a three-note melody.

A familiar neigh answered, followed by the eager clomps of Epona, who broke through the lines of soldiers within seconds. She came to an abrupt halt at the sight of her master. Just as he had prayed that there would have been a response to his call, it seemed that Epona, too, had hoped to hear her master's voice again.

He patted her cheek and smoothed her brow to calm her and sent a silent thanks to Midna. With the smoke suffocating the air, no one knew if the castle-or even the town-had survived, but even if the town still remained, the shockwave alone could have killed his horse … and anyone else left behind.

Link moved to mount Epona when Zelda cupped a gentle hand over his shoulder. He turned to her and she removed her hand but kept it extended as she asked, "Please, lend me your bow."

He lifted the bow from his shoulder without hesitation, but as he got ready to pull off his quiver as well, he realized that it carried no arrows. He could not remember if he had spent them all or if they had perhaps tumbled free during his dance with the Dark Beast, but one thing was sure. Zelda could not use a bow without arrows.

Link opened his mouth to apologize, knowing the weapon would now be no use to her, but she interrupted him before he could even speak. "Do not worry. The bow is all I need. Now, let us make haste."

He was not sure how the princess planned to attack without a single arrow, but he did not waste time in arguing. He had spent little time with the princess over the course of his journey, but it was enough to know that she had wisdom in all grounds of life.

Zelda felt the weight of the bow in her slim hands and memories of a thousand dawns and evenings broke into her, memories of a young girl, lady, and woman practicing for hours in the courtyard of her father's castle. She could remember every arrow she had ever nocked, every target she had hit-and missed. She could remember the smile of her bearded father when she had made her first perfect mark, and the memory brimmed in her eyes. It filled her not with the need to avenge her father's kingdom, but to make him proud … to show him how fearlessly she faced the threats to Hyrule and how she was willing to defend her people with her life at the front of the guard.

A hand shot down to her then and she realized it was Link already settled in Epona's saddle looking down and waiting.

When she took his hand it seemed like a million things happened at once. The reality of the battle washed over the princess as she was hoisted to sit behind Link the Hero. She heard the chorus of war cries and the stampede of a thousand hooves. Near her left she saw a dark knight hack its way through three Hylians that had been protecting her and Link from the swarming hordes. It was at that moment that Epona tore away and bolted through the crowds. Zelda tightened her legs around the animal and held one hand firmly to the back of Link's saddle while the other grasped the bow.

As they sped through the masses, they gained more and more attention from the surrounding armies, both friend and foe. The light that seemed to shine from every pore and stitch of Zelda was a beacon to all. To some she was a last hope, riding with the Hero, but to others she was an angel of vengeance carried by the wings of her ruthless warrior. Thus, as they garnered notice, they fell privy to more and more attacks. Link's focus then switched from steering them through the obstacles of the battlefield, which Epona could manage, to protecting them from the quick succession of attacks that befell them.

Mere seconds passed before Hylian soldiers on horseback came to their defense, slashing and stamping out the life of those even trying to close in on Epona and her precious passengers. Link waved the Master Sword once as thanks to the Hylian riders, and with their protection he returned his concentration to seeking out Ganondorf.

Link spotted the dark rider billowing through the masses some distance ahead. Ganondorf stalled his horse to run the length of his stolen saber straight through the heart of one of Hyrule's lieutenants, and the fire in Link's belly was rekindled when the demon's eyes found the Hero. Those cold, heartless yellow eyes…. Eyes that had ripped apart the soul of Midna. The wicked, spiteful smile stretched the lips of his square jaw … daring Link.

A defiant scream burst from Link as he raised the Master Sword toward the god king, and his war cry was echoed through the ranks of Hylian riders beside and behind him.

Ganondorf raised a fist and the phantom riders that had been scattered throughout the Hylian army disappeared only to rematerialize behind the king once more. They galloped past their master toward the small Hylian cavalry like a fog of death. Their weapons, however, were more than a mere mist. Zelda watched as a single touch knocked a rider from his horse, dead before he even flew from the saddle. She guarded her emotions from the pain of losing so many good men and women to the dark armies, holding tightly as Link guided them with deft skill through the host of phantoms.

Emerging from the line of phantoms was Epona and only three other horses of the nine they had once had. Ganondorf had turned his steed about and bolted away across the field. Whenever he turned his head to see Link and Zelda following after him, his expression was not one of panic but one of pleasure. He wanted them to follow, wanted the thrill.

It was all a game to Ganondorf, a game that he chose to savor because he knew victory would be his in the end.

But this was not an ending either Link or Zelda would allow.

"Keep pace with him!" Zelda cried over the thundering rain of hooves and clinking steel.

Link could feel the princess adjusting herself behind him, and with a quick glance behind he realized why she had dismissed his absence of arrows. The Hylian in line with him gasped at the sight and hollered renewed cheers and war cries that ricocheted into the farthest corners of the battlefield.

When Princess Zelda lifted the bow and pulled back on the bowstring, an arrow carrying the brilliant golden shimmer of the spirits materialized with the motion of her hand. Thus, she took aim of Ganondorf with her magical light arrow nocked against the bow.

Link swerved to avoid a cluster of enemies, and the three riders alongside him kept their speed, deflecting every attempt of a bokoblin or shadow beast to attack their hero and princess. Zelda held her hands as steady as she could, her legs the only thing keeping her rooted to Epona as the animal veered in response to a threat or command of her master.

The seconds in which it took Zelda to find an opening to release her light upon her mark felt like minutes. The instant she let loose the light, Ganondorf changed direction. The discharge of energy crackled through the air and kicked up only dirt and the blood that stained it.

Link urged Epona forward, and she responded with a new burst of speed, closing the new distance between her master and his target. Ganondorf fluttered through the warring armies expertly, but Epona gave chase with just as much dexterity as the red-eyed steed. Her hooves clomped along and leapt up and around obstacles. Link guided her to come alongside Ganondorf, and though there were standing ranks between them, being on horseback brought Ganondorf into perfect view on Link's right.

Link entrusted Epona with plowing through the ranks ahead as he tossed his saber to his right hand and defended Zelda, all while he minded the reins and tugged on them once every so often to realign Epona so that she did not veer from view of Ganondorf.

Nearly seventy meters lay between Zelda and Ganondorf, but she had practiced with much farther targets before and struck bullseyes as often as her father's best archers. She nocked another arrow of light, the energy of the magic coming from within her like before, and this time she felt a slight drain on her nerves. She did not know how many times she would be able to pull forth a weapon cast in the spirits' power, and so she closed her mind to all but her target. Epona was staggering only a few meters behind in her stride, and so the princess was forced to lean out from her center, which put strain on her muscles.

Zelda ignored the pain in her body, the cries of her tightened joints, as she held her aim and calculated the path of her shot. The fingers against the ridge flexed as those on the bowstring remained taut for a second more.

Then she took in a quick breath and held it, her posture as steady as she could manage, and she let the arrow fly.

A deep humming vibrated through the air and land as the arrow of light sailed through the plagued field as fast and as bright as a shooting star.

Ganondorf had no time to react to the masterful shot, and in the next instant the light pounded into his side. Its warmth sent a chill up his spine and it burned in his veins as the static of its current clung to and bounded through and around him. Its intensity was paralyzing and he found difficulty in breathing. As he gasped for breath, he saw the light hanging onto him like circulating strikes of lightning. The hum of its power quivered through his spine and into every joint, and he nearly dropped his sword as his other fingers loosened slightly from their grip of the reins.

Link took the opportunity to hone in for the attack as soon as he had seen Zelda's arrow of light soar through the air. A tug of the reins and a cry hungry for the end had redirected Epona's footfalls, and Link's rearguard of three riders followed close behind.

Just as they closed the gap, cutting and leaping their way through the swarm separating them, Ganondorf recovered from the blast. Gaining control over his stiffened nerves again, he tucked his legs in, yanked the reins to his right, and as his beast swirled about, he swung his sword in a backward arc. The blade landed in the jaw of one of the Hylian riders, and the resulting crunch of bone brought with it an agonizing death.

Link swept his sword for Ganondorf's head, but his blade cut only air. Had he attacked only but a few seconds sooner, he would have hit his mark, and the Hylian now lying in a pool of crimson at Epona's feet would likely still be aloft and breathing.

Instead of retreating from Link this time, Ganondorf circled back around to puncture the throat of a second Hylian rider. Zelda watched helplessly as the black-haired man, who looked as young as twenty-three, gurgled to his death, grasping at his sticky neck in the few seconds he had clung to life. When the rider fell motionless, trampled by his own horse, the image of Ganondorf reappeared behind her, a depraved sparkle glinting in his wide eyes. Zelda tried to reposition herself to take aim once more, but Link pulled Epona through such a chaotic string of twists and turns in an attempt to shake the king from his tail that she could not both fight and keep her balance.

The princess heard the echoes of a hollow neigh then, and when she looked ahead, she found that the phantom riders had once again graced the field. They were rushing straight for them, and Link had little reaction time to escape. Instinctively, Zelda wrapped her free arm round Link's middle and held on as tightly as she dared.

That was when the third Hylian reappeared nearby, with a fresh force of four additional riders, and they each tumbled into the scene at different angles. Three thrashed through the phantoms, collecting their attention-and for one rider's misfortune, a spear through the gut. The other two Hylians raced sidelong toward Ganondorf.

The distraction was enough for Link to yank Epona to the left and out of the fray … but at a high price. The two Hylians who had attacked the demon king now lay crushed beneath the hooves of his steed, and only one of the other Hylians remained alive. Even so, that soldier had galloped to a stop some distance away and half-collapsed onto his horse's mane from the agony of his pierced shoulder.

Link pulled on the reins to bring Epona about, facing Ganondorf once more. The demon king merely sat there, still and gloating with that smile that already claimed victory. Link brought his horse to a stop, mirroring his enemy's stance, collecting his nerve for his next bold move. He took a moment to lay a reassuring hand overtop Zelda's hugging fingers. At his touch she looked beyond his shoulder to the sight of Ganondorf sitting and waiting. He twirled the stolen sage-blade in a grand gesture, and the phantoms drew up behind him in perfect formation.

Epona tossed her head and Link steadied and calmed her. Zelda could feel the tension within the sinews of the animal as Link stared down their ultimate foe.

Link's brow furrowed in response to the clenched smirk of Ganondorf, and his fist tightened over the Master Sword's hilt as he returned his other hand to the reins.

The moment the demon king raised his sword for the charge, Link responded in kind. Master Sword and Sage-Blade glinted in the darkened dawn light as they reared and raced headlong toward each other. Stained dirt and grass parted in rivulets as the hooves of their mounts beat against the earth, and neither adjusted course as they charged through the masses.

Space closed quickly and Zelda readied another shaft of light. Link had bowed his body closer in to Epona's mane to allow the princess more room to take aim, but she still had to duck to the side partly to get a clear shot. Right before she fired, the phantoms had overtaken Ganondorf, forcing Link to divert his course to avoid their weapons and sending Zelda's shot well to the side of the dodging demon king.

Ganondorf sped past the pair as the phantoms faded into thin air behind them. Link's reflexes were quick, though, and he jerked his horse round to the left and gave a yelp to urge her forward. Faster and faster Ganondorf bounded across the plain, slashing through unsuspecting victims. Link hardened himself against the fall of each proud Hylian warrior and the callous way in which he forced Epona to leap over their corpses. He sent a silent apology to each soul he passed and promised in return to make their sacrifice worthy of the storybooks that were sure to follow this day.

Behind him, Zelda had nocked another arrow of light. Sweat poured from her brow and her fingers were tense, numb to the exhaustion that now poisoned her body. Using the power the spirits had gifted her was taking its toll. She was not sure if she would have another burst of energy left after this attempt.

"Keep him within range!" she called, and as she aimed, Link pushed Epona hard.

They were only a few meters behind Ganondorf now, and Zelda let loose.

And missed.

Breathing hard, the princess tried to cast away the distress of her failure. Her head throbbed and she could hear every cry of pain, every defeated scream, every last sob in memory of a fallen comrade. Just as loud were the howls of the shadow beasts and squeals of the attacking army. But perhaps louder than any was the shrill voice of Zant, the usurper king. The sound of his cries of rage and glee heaved a memory into her mind's eye once more.

_"Surrender or die,"_ Zant had demanded.

Zelda's blood boiled. Today she would not surrender. This day no other would fall at the hands of her enemies. On this day she, together with the Hero of Hyrule, would cast out this evil and banish it from the lives of her people.

She pushed her tangled brown and blond locks from her brow and lifted the bow once more.

As Link pulled out to the right of Ganondorf, still keeping pace with him in whatever direction he turned, Zelda reached within herself for the last reserve of her strength. The light with which she nocked the bow was brighter than any previous magic she had conjured. Its energy enveloped her, warmed her hands, for it came from somewhere deep within her … as if her very soul had been drawn from her body to light the dark of this morning.

The arrow of light seemed to hum with the song of the spirits themselves, and when Zelda released it, its pure melody rang out and reverberated against every hilltop. When it crashed into Ganondorf, the blow nearly knocked the king from his saddle as the chorus of the spirits chimed throughout the land.

Golden sparks of light once again paralyzed the demon king. His body convulsed under the strain of the pure energy of the light and he struggled to regain control. In his mind he could hear the singsong of the spirits, and it echoed in his head like a bad dream. He could feel the agony of every soul he had destroyed, not only in this time but from a time long ago … of a Hyrule ruled by another long dead king. The pain fueled his rage and he released a mighty roar that flooded the battlefield. He had every right to take the land of Hyrule from this feeble princess. A kingdom required a king suitable for a throne so mighty … not a princess who had merely inherited her father's lands. He had been fighting for that right far before she had even been conceived. Her very existence was a cruel joke conjured by the gods.

His fury broke the bonds of light encompassing him so that by the time the Master Sword swirled for his head, he thrust out the sage-blade to block its deathblow. He could tell that the parry had surprised the Hero, and with all the wrath the years had given him from the time he was a babe tumbling through the golden sands of his motherland to his years as a proud king and warrior, he shoved his blade forward with such vicious force that Link was knocked from his horse.

Zelda nearly tumbled on after Link, but she managed to grasp the saddle and quickly scramble forward to clutch the reins. Epona had galloped quite a distance away from Link and Ganondorf by the time the princess had gained control.

Link landed hard against the bloodied ground, and he thought for a moment he had dislocated his shoulder. Lying on his side, he grunted through the stinging ache. The landing had knocked the wind from his lungs and the momentary vertigo muddled the images of the clashing soldiers surrounding him. Above and around him he could see the weapons of dark knights and Hylian soldiers meeting in harsh, brutal strokes and the clanging steel boomed like a hundred quaking gongs inside his ears.

He rolled onto his stomach, the world still shaking in his perspective. The disorientation was deeper than anything he could remember feeling. He thought perhaps he had struck his head upon landing, but when he reached back he felt no jolts of pain. Raising his head once more, he looked upon the battlefield, and the rushing figures made him feel as if he were walking in a nightmare. He could not reach out to help them, but he could not rub their screaming images from his eyes either.

Link shook his head and gathered himself to his knees slowly … only to collapse toward the ground shortly after. He caught himself with one hand while the other cradled his forehead. When his mind had finally settled it felt as if minutes had ticked by, but he knew that if he had gone undefended for so long he would have already been struck dead. Blood tinted his palm when he lowered his hand, and he understood the reason for his prolonged stupor. His forehead had been cut, and it still made him dizzy when he moved or blinked, but he had to push past the pain, past the tiredness that such a wound welcomed.

He felt a shadow over him then, and looking up he saw the silhouette of the demon king. A sneer stretched his features from one side to the other.

The white teeth of the devil greeted Link at the edge of the world.


	49. Chapter 45 Part 1

**Chapter 45: The Power of Courage PART 1**

Lightning flashed and spread an ominous shadow over the fields of Eldin. Then came the pouring rain, churning the dirt, sweat, and blood into a brew of muck. The rain created a hanging mist that washed over the battlefield, and the slight winds carried it like wraiths trying desperately to cling to life.

A high screech sounded, reverberating with a metallic noise. Zant, King of Shadows, drove one of his curved blades full through the armor of a Hylian knight, and just as another slashed out at his back, a shadow beast wrapped its claws around the knight. It choked the life from him, pouring darkness into his soul as all warmth left his body. When the knight hung limp in its grasp, it tossed the corpse away like a broken toy.

Then a raging war cry clapped through the air, and the steel of Ashei's blade met solidly against the white edge of Zant's weapon before it could kill another young soldier. He growled like a child against her defense, bringing down his second blade as he danced wildly about her. This attack failed as well, though, for the Hylian general caught Zant's blade and pushed him back with the full might of his broad shoulders. Zant nearly tripped as he stumbled backward.

Ashei sent a quick nod of thanks to the general and they gathered in close with three other soldiers to prepare for the next assault. Ashei gripped her broadsword tightly in her double-handed grip, sweat pouring from her dark-haired brow.

Zant hissed like the animal he was, and all at once the helmet protecting his head clicked away to reveal his sickly skin and the harsh yellow pupils of his glowing orange eyes. His coif fell to his nape and red hair tumbled around his grotesque features, ravaged by hatred and despair … and death. He was a vessel of pure hate now, bent to every whim of Ganondorf, bound by the grace of his power. Finally and truthfully, nothing more than a wild and ravenous animal. His hiss turned into a growl behind his crooked teeth, and his angry cry sounded more like a snapping bark.

With his entourage of shadow beasts, he charged into the circle of Hylians and sunk his blades in for the kill.

Just as a shadow beast leapt for the soldier on the outside of their gathering, a horse swooped by, its rider knocking it back with a spiked mace. Ashei had no room to glance away from her battle with the usurper king, or she would have recognized the blacksmith of Ordon immediately.

Rusl did not stop to help further; he raced on toward another group of Hylians struggling against a dark knight. He brought his feet up onto the saddle of his borrowed steed and steadied himself as he aligned his ride. Once he drew close, he leapt from his mount, unsheathing the blade resting at his hip, and landed directly atop its giant shoulder. Before the knight could respond to the new threat, Rusl had leapt again, driving his sword through its spine right where its heart would have been. Its sword arm flailed as it collapsed into rubble, and the surrounding soldiers jumped away or threw up shields in protection.

With the knight defeated, Rusl quickly gazed across the line of Hylian soldiers and saw none wounded. His deed done he turned to locate his horse, finding it trampling bulblins as it raced off. A grim smile lit his lips at that, but it was erased when he took notice of a wounded Hylian standing before a crumpled horse, spear through its neck. The soldier held his arm tightly across his chest as he battled solely against a shadow beast and two bokoblins.

Rusl dashed across the field, hacking through one enemy after the next as they sprouted in his path. By the time he had reached the battle, the knight had tripped over one of his horse's legs, sword dislodged from his grasp. The knight scrambled vainly to reach his fallen blade, for just as his fingers touched the guard, the shadow beast had plucked him up, hissing its ballad of twilit vulgarity.

The knight struggled in its grasp and kicked out at the bokoblin that approached with jagged sword raised. Just as he thought he might die, blood splattered against his face. He thought it his end, but when he looked down in the absence of pain, he realized a blade had pierced through the shadow beast's chest from its backside. Its dying shriek echoed across the plain as it dropped him to his knees.

The knight grabbed his blade and swung it around to attack the bokoblins, but once he reared back, he stopped at the sight of Rusl, member of the Resistance. The two bokoblins lay dead at his feet, as he extended a hand to calm the knight, who cringed at the renewed jolt of pain searing the inside of his shoulder. It was no ordinary wound, for he had been one of few to survive the onslaught of the sage-blade.

Rusl knelt down to the knight as he leaned back against the body of his horse. Sweat drenched his sandy hair, rippling through the bloodstains of the shadow beast. Rusl had only meant to check that the knight would live, but as he called for the nearby Shad to render assistance, the knight clutched his arm tight, pulling him in.

"P-Princess…. The prin…" he tried through his heaving breaths and the intense pain.

A wave of alarm struck Rusl as he scanned the battlefield. He saw the princess nowhere. Nor could he find Link and Epona. A sick feeling grasped at his navel, and a fear crept into him, one whispering that he would find Link broken at the edge of the world.

He awoke to his surroundings once more at a sudden shriek from Shad. Rusl turned, finding that Shad had fallen in a heap under the might of a towering shadow beast. Its tentacles whipped and rippled as it skittered toward Shad, hungering for Hylian flesh, thirsting for revenge against the light.

The blacksmith launched himself at the beast in the same moment that a spear shot sidelong through its head. It collapsed immediately without another breath.

Rusl and Shad turned their attention to the man bounding for them on horseback, the white of its mane mirroring the beard of its rider. Auru.

The old man drew up beside them, bending over just slightly to reclaim his spear.

"I say … f-fantastic shot," cheered Shad, trying desperately to keep the shock from his voice. He pushed his cracked spectacles back onto the bridge of his nose, struggling to act as at peace among the battle as Rusl and Auru.

"Have you seen Link?" interjected Rusl quickly.

"With the princess, last I saw," he replied, continually examining their immediate surroundings for danger.

His response did little to ease Rusl's discomfort, but he was forced to keep his mind in the moment. Protecting Shad and the wounded Hylian was his direct priority. Auru acknowledged the injured soldier and directed Rusl's attention to a cluster of Hylians nearby, where those who had been lying injured within Telma's bar had been transported, lying helpless as two full units of knights-as well as the ferocious Telma-fought off the hordes.

Rusl ordered Shad to help the wounded knight to his feet, and the young scholar did so without question, trying his best to console the moaning knight as he took his arm over his shoulders. They hobbled along as Rusl defended them, and Auru sped away in the attempt to clear a path.

They met the howling war cries of Telma as she and the knight alongside her cut through bulblin after bokoblin. Auru's mount trampled over several of the oncoming swarm, as he used his spear like a sword, smacking its sharp point and blunt end into target after target in a whirl of endless motion.

Auru drew is horse up at the front of the guard once the nearby enemies had been dispatched. Behind him, Shad guided the wounded Hylian into the camp of the wounded. The civilians who had also been transported to the field were gathered here, most answering the need for nurses, tending to the hurts of the soldiers who continued to gather within the shrine of defending knights.

"How you holding up, honey?" Telma called back to Shad as he left the knight to the nurses and drew up beside her, arms numb from having borne the soldier's weight. He gave her a cringing nod and brought up his sword again, nearly screaming as he attacked a charging bokoblin on sheer reflex. It had not killed the monster, but he had left it staggering enough for Telma to finish the job. Shad's sudden reaction to the threat bolstered his courage and a small, unsure smile replaced his creased brows.

A golden flutter in the far distance drew Auru's attention after dispatching another foe, and he realized it was the golden head and white shimmer of Princess Zelda. She had been struggling with her horse's reins, racing toward him, but then she reared high, turning her mount, the great crimson Epona. At once, she was away, hugging close to Epona as they raced through the hordes to the right. The motion happened in the snap of a finger, but when Auru had seen his princess rising high above the masses, time had seemed to slow, and relief had flooded him as his vigor was renewed.

Yet, just as he had recognized her face, a sudden terror wrenched at his heart.

Link was no longer with her. Epona was his mount, and Auru had seen the three of them bolt off together, unified.

He looked for the telltale color of his green tunic among the multitudes. He could not find him, which frightened him, but not nearly as much as the terror that struck him in the following moment. When he followed Princess Zelda's line of sight, followed the direction of her racing horse … he found Link … lying unmoving in the muck and mist that shrouded him and the ominous black giant stepping nearer and nearer to the hero with every quaking heartbeat of Auru.

In his reigning stupor, Auru did not see the roaring bokoblin closing in. His horse tossed and kicked at the foe, and he struggled to remain aloft. By the time he realized what was happening, Rusl had already gutted the enemy. Auru's thanks was silent in eyes alight with terror, Rusl could see, and he followed his stare when Auru returned his sight to the distant Link.

Rusl gasped, fear strangling his words, like the fright a father felt at the brink of watching his son die. In the moment he called for a horse, Auru had fought past his fears and come alive again. As Rusl mounted the armored horse drawn up to him, Auru bellowed, waving his spear in the direction of Princess Zelda's rocketing figure. His horse reared and then took off like fire on a dry plain, and Rusl followed close behind.

As the pair sped across the battlefield, their cries rallied several more horseback knights who sped alongside their flanks, weapons raised for the charge.

Far ahead of her knights, Princess Zelda panted as Epona galloped at full speed. Her breath caught in a gasp as a dark knight tumbled over in their path, but Epona reacted swiftly and bounded over the obstacle with ease. Zelda held fast and close, trusting that Epona would reach her master in time.

===============

The voracious glee humming within Ganondorf sprung into a laugh as he looked down on the stumbling figure of the boy so many had come to call _Hero_. But this boy was no hero. He was a lost child fumbling and grasping for meaning, trying desperately to accept the fate which had been so cruelly cast upon him by his gods. It was by some prank that they had chosen this pathetic, small animal in whom to house their power … that they would guide him on a quest to face him here at last. The joke made him laugh in the face of Link and his gods.

He would crush him so completely, shatter his unbreakable spirit into so many shards, that the legends to follow his reign hundreds of years later would remember no fragment of this boy's existence. History was written by those victorious, and he would cut Link from every corner of Hyrule. After this day no one would dare speak his name.

The boy from the forest. The warrior in green. It all reminded him of the boy's ancestor, that same small child, so feeble, without the strength to even hold a proper sword, he imagined…. The same blue eyes that had defied him so long ago. When Ganondorf looked into those eyes, it was years ago, and he saw that little boy again, staring at him from behind a young princess and her glorious sages and knights who had subdued him.

How he cursed that day.

He had held onto that hatred even in the void of Twilight. He breathed because of the vengeance filling his veins, brimming in his bones. It was the fiber of his existence.

The coming dawn would give rise to his reign, his ultimate majesty.

When Link gazed up at the approaching figure of Ganondorf, his eyes still felt hazy. He bit back the pain through gritted teeth. Shoulder quaking, head throbbing, he had to stand, had to gather his wits … but no matter how hard he tried, he could not bring himself to rise.

His struggle brought new fuel to the demon's callous chuckle, and he charged at Link, two hands fisted around the hilt of the sage-blade.

The sudden movement dazed Link in the same moment that it brought his eyes into focus. He scurried to raise the Master Sword … but realized it was no longer in his grasp. Quickly, he plucked up two blades dropped by felled Hylian knights and lifted them to defend against Ganondorf's downward thrust … just as it would have struck his skull. But the blades were no match against the blade of the sages, and it sliced through their steel like butter. Link barely had time to duck in order to avoid the shrieking magical metal of Ganondorf's sword.

That was proof enough. If he was to have any chance at defeating Ganondorf once and for all, he required the blade of evil's bane, the sword of the legendary hero.

Before he could move to defend himself, Ganondorf had drawn himself up to his full height over him and gave a swift and forceful kick. The hit landed in Link's gut and sent him flying to the ground again meters away. The brutal blow gagged him and he coughed a string of vomit, holding his stomach as he gasped for air.

Link struggled to his knees, head lowered from the pain.

When Ganondorf spoke, Link could hear the snarl written across his face, feel the laughter in his tone, the victory. "See how Hyrule's hero bows before me."

Link raised his sapphire eyes against the thunder and pelting rain and found the yellow shimmer of Ganondorf. "Never," the hero said. "Hyrule will _never_ bow to your reign."

The confident rebellion in his eyes angered Ganondorf, and Link could see it in his shadowed eyes. The demon's once fine red hair hung in tangled spikes and curls around his head; some were even frayed from where the Dark Beast's mane had been set ablaze. This king, with his ruffled hair, soiled armor, and fraying cape, now truly looked like the demon Link had first expected to encounter.

Link spotted the glint of the Master Sword to his left and immediately raced over to seize it. Ganondorf did nothing to stop him, merely let loose new laughter as he took a careful and slow step forward. Link held up the sword as he waited, stooped low with feet constantly shifting his weight.

"An impressive-looking blade…" bellowed Ganondorf. His humming laughter then immediately died. "But nothing more." He glowered down at Link, so small compared to his great height. "Would you hear my desire?" he asked with the hint of a grin, and he brandished the sage-blade before him as streaks of lightning silhouetted his frame with a clap of thunder. "I will take this foul blade and use it to blot out the light _forever_."

He was not sure, but Link thought that his words carried a subtext that also meant the suffocation of _his_ light and life … and any other like him who would oppose his reign. And the demon would use the very blade that had executed him, the very weapon that had sealed his fate and brought him back into the world with a power beyond everything else. The sage-blade had birthed him anew.

Ganondorf approached him then with slow, calculated steps. Link held his ground, held his stance, waiting for the attack.

Then, from behind Ganondorf, Link spotted the figure of Zelda racing toward him astride Epona, and his spirits lifted at the sight. She held up the bow once more, ready to aim another powerful attack at the demon king. Ganondorf noticed this, however, could read the renewed hope in Link's eyes and the reflection of Zelda's light within their shimmer, and he grinned. With a flick of his hand, an orange barrier flickered to life, enshrining Link and he within its large circle.

_Only_ the two of them.

The power of his magic caused a massive shockwave to blast outward from its border, knocking every soul to the ground. Epona reared and shrieked as the wave of energy overpowered her and sent her reeling to the ground. Zelda, too, screamed as she sailed from the saddle and landed hard against the wet ground. Grunting, she dug her silk hands-now stained with layers of mud and blood-into the ground and pushed herself up. The bow had flown from her grasp, and she could not find it.

The weapon would have done her little good, though, for when she turned back to face Ganondorf and Link, she saw Hylians already charging the barrier and being flung back again by its cruel magic. She threw up an arm to shield her eyes from the flare of orange light that coursed through them, and she thought surely they had perished.

"Princess!" she heard, and she tossed her gaze about. Suddenly, she was ducking back down into the grime to avoid the wide swing of a dark knight, but just as soon did it crumble to the ground, tossing up the dirty brew beneath.

Zelda rose to meet the face of her general, broadsword still at the ready. Alongside him came the familiar face of her childhood tutor, Auru. She had not seen his wrinkled face in years, and she found comfort in his kind eyes, eyes that had always twinkled with genuine care for his princess. He had been knocked from his mount as well, and instead of waiting to right the creature, he had closed the remaining distance between Zelda and him with a sprint. She grasped his forearm firmly, as if looking for guidance once more from his gentle eyes.

It pained Auru that he had no counsel for her save a hand that grasped hers in kind.

Then they saw the rush of movement flying past them. Rusl, who had reclaimed his seat upon his mount, bolted toward the barrier. His eyes were alight with panic as he trampled and bashed through the horde that rose between the barrier and him. He could hear and feel the hum that vibrated through the field from the magic, and he had seen the way it had smacked away the assailing Hylians with tendrils of light.

Princess Zelda did not wait for her entourage as she sped off in Rusl's wake. The general called after her, and he, Auru, and the surrounding knights raced after her, forming a protective bubble around their young sovereign as she made her way toward the barrier.

She heard the resounding shrieks just as shadow beasts descended upon her. She stopped in her tracks and grabbed up a sword from the battlefield as her escorts halted and formed around her. Zelda held out the blade with a grim expression, and she met the beasts in battle, steel against claw. Her skirt and hair twirled about her small frame as she slashed through the leading beast, her knights engaging the surrounding shadows with matched ferocity. Seeing their princess in action, pressing the attack, bolstered their nerve, and when she yelped and collapsed, they only fought harder.

Auru and the general formed around the princess as she rose, still grasping her weapon, but now holding tightly to her arm as well. A beast had torn right through her pauldron and landed a nasty cut. She gritted her teeth at the pain and assured Auru that the wound was nothing.

As the general and one of her knights brought down a shadow beast, the piercing cry of the Twili usurper lit the air on fire. Its tone rang in their ears, staggering some, and suddenly, the shadows were retreating. The unprovoked withdrawal puzzled Zelda and her entourage as they searched for Zant, who they found standing opposite the barrier at the head of his still massive force of beasts, bublins, and bokoblins.

The general thought it a ruse, but as the seconds ticked by without assault and the stragglers of the shadow army retreated to join their comrades, he slowly let his sword hang low. Yet, he did not lower his guard entirely. Strangely, Zelda and the Hylian army came to understand their foe's intent. At the will of his master, Zant would make them suffer, to watch as their hero fell at the might of his god.

The general's voice rang strong throughout the battlefield, calling knights to drawn back and come into formation some distance from the barrier opposite the horde of shadows. He and Auru followed their princess as she bounded to the head of her army. She came alongside Rusl, who had dismounted his horse. Pain unlike any other filled his eyes, and Zelda, though she did not know his face, understood that his connection to Link was deep. Even the tender hand she placed on his arm could not turn his frown, and the princess's sorrow deepened as she turned back to the image before her.

Helpless. She had never felt so powerless. No one could lift a finger to the terror within the barrier.

Keeping a close eye on his pacing enemy as well, Link had watched as the armies had formed around them. He had seen the barrier flick away the pressing knights, and he came face-to-face with the terror that had been welling in his bones since the sages had first told him of the King of Evil.

He had gotten what he had wanted. To face the demon king alone.

Even without Midna.

The thought of her rekindled the fire in his belly.

Ganondorf. Midna's murderer.

When the demon king charged, the memory of Midna fueled Link's legs and the barking cry that cracked louder than the thunder quaking against the surrounding canyons. Link leapt against Ganondorf's attack, and Sage-Blade and Master Sword met in a dance of sparking light. Link clenched his teeth, using every ounce of his strength to command his flexing muscles. Ganondorf barely broke a sweat as he pressed his blade down, the Master Sword locked between the dual guards of his sword.

With a twist and burst of strength, Link threw Ganondorf from him, but the bulky king did not lose balance. He grinned.

Link backed away, donning his shield against his right forearm. He twirled the Master Sword, feeling its weight, its power, preparing himself for the grueling battle ahead of him.

His final hour.

Link studied the king's slow, steady movements. He knew the dexterity of his small stature would be his saving grace against an enemy of sheer brute force. Beating Ganondorf to the offensive, Link raced back in, ducking under the sweeping horizontal attack the demon unleashed. He slashed upward, but the king was quick and very skilled. Ganondorf brought his blade back in for the parry, slapping away the Master Sword with ease, but Link did not despair. He thrust his blade, and Ganondorf caught it with the blunt side of his sword. Link sliced in a wide arc, and Ganondorf blocked it vertically, holding the blade within his opposite hand to secure it.

Even though none of his attacks pierced the king's defense, Link learned as he fought. He understood the way he used his body in the brunt of his attacks, noticed the way he mostly used his elbow and shoulder without much movement in his wrist. His movements were slow because they were so carefully calculated, so patient.

Then the game changed after Ganondorf kicked out at Link. The Hylian dodged and thrust in again, only to find the king leaping up and over him. Link twisted about just in time to see him land and slash out at his toes. The swiftness of his movements and the weightlessness he had seemed to embody startled Link. He only just leapt back as Ganondorf's blade chimed through the air.

Link brought his shield around as the king unleashed a series of attacks, deep thrusts and wide swings, all empowered by his broad shoulder. Link defended against each with his Hylian metal, each hit sending a numbing jolt that vibrated through his arm. He was nearly knocked to the ground again from the blow that followed, a jarring hit from his left elbow that knocked Link's shield to the side. When Ganondorf whirled about and lunged his opposite arm forward with the glimmering sage-blade, Link barely had a window to knock it back with the Master Sword.

Ganondorf's amused grin disintegrated into a growling frown as he took a step back, brandishing his blade to the side.

The Hylian hero took advantage of this retrograde and pressed the attack with several diagonal slices and a quick thrust at his middle. All his attacks were parried, however, and when Ganondorf caught the Master Sword against his blade on the last attack, he pushed back and swiped at the Hylian's neck. Link dropped and rolled to the right to avoid the blow, and he popped up and readied his blade anew.

That was when he observed possibly the only advantage he would claim over this demon king.

With his sword tightly gripped in his right hand, Ganondorf was slow to cover his left flank. It was only a few seconds, but Link would take any window to his advantage. Link hid the realization from his eyes and his shifting body that itched to immediately use the vulnerability against the king.

He let the short seconds tick by for Ganondorf to draw up his attack again, and when Link dodged another horizontal slash, he feigned left. As Ganondorf's blade cut down through the air with impossible speed, Link rolled back to the right. He drew up behind Ganondorf, leaping up with a mighty diagonal slice that tore through his cape and met the unguarded fabric on the side of his lower back.

A guttural howl broke through Ganondorf's lungs as his back arched in response to the sudden sting. He swiveled quickly to discourage further attacks, and with his harsh eyes reflecting the vicious color of the surrounding lightning, he glared down at the boy.

The mists flitted through their battlefield as the rains came harder. The water helped to cleanse the wound on Link's forehead, and he welcomed the relief. Yet, with the water turning patches of the ground to mud, he found it more difficult to keep sure footing. Link tested his weight as he mirrored Ganondorf's movements, circling each other. It was not long until Link had adapted to the new battlefield. His body knew how to acclimatize to different landscapes, and he trusted his instincts.

Link saw the anger in Ganondorf abate once more, his frown transforming into a thin line of amusement. He was enjoying himself. The thought sent a prickle through Link's arm, and he involuntarily found himself twirling his blade again.

Ganondorf watched the boy closely. Perhaps he had the courage to face him, and some skill with a blade, but none of it would be enough. He found pleasure in Link's feeble struggle. It was entertaining to watch this small animal defy him, knowing that whatever strength the boy thought he had, Ganondorf would see his end.

He would enjoy this.

As Link scrutinized this demon's every movement and the way he smiled even now, he finally understood. He understood why Ganondorf had erected the barrier, why the spectacle. It was not enough for Ganondorf to kill Link; he wanted to take his life before an audience, to rip away what little hope they had. He would destroy their spirit by destroying their hero … right before their every eye.

Link looked across the faces of the Hyrulean people … and saw that Ganondorf's scheme was indeed taking effect. They saw Link's struggle and feared for his failure.

A memory came back to him then, stronger than anything, and he could almost hear the boy speaking to him. _"Everyone talks about you,"_ the voice told him. _"Everyone says that … they wish they had your courage."_ The thought of young Soal, so hopeful, renewed his drive. He remembered his promise, the vow to be Hryule's sword and shield for as long as the people needed him.

_"If my single life can save the lives of thousands…."_ That was the last thing he had said to Rusl, the man he owed so much. And he recalled his mentor's proud words: _"A hero is not defined only in battle. They also inspire. They bring hope of a new horizon. They return faith to faithless. You are a hero in every way. The courage of your heart is unmatched."_

This was what Ganondorf, and perhaps even the princess and her people, did not understand. Though they stared on, helpless, the very fact was that they stood. Here they had gathered … on this battlefield, to fight and defend home and family. A new horizon was approaching, though the rolling thunder and lightning fed on its rising sun. Everything Link had done, every evil he had banished, had been to bring together the people of Hyrule, to encourage their hearts to rise above their fears.

And so he had done.

Ganondorf may have thought the audience a distraction, but it only served to remind Link of every reason he had fought and bled for so long.

_"This is not where your story will end."_ Link clung to that hope when he twirled his blade anew and then held it firm. Every hope of Hyrule rested on the steel of his legendary blade, and that hope had been his constant companion all this time.

The demon king charged forward as he held his blade to the side in two strong fists. His cape flapped wildly behind his heavy, sloshing footfalls. The jubilant hunger in his eyes flashed like lightning, and his thunder came in a chuckling roar.

The hero waited until the last moment, body language fooling Ganondorf to believe the Hylian would stand his ground and parry. Yet, just as Link twisted his sword up to block the attack, he stole back his blade right before making contact, letting his hilt slide in his grasp in order to hold it backwards, and he sidestepped in a whirling dance that sent his blade lashing across the king's left forearm.

Ganondorf reacted quickly when his saber hit unyielding, muddy soil. Using it to counterbalance his immense weight, he leaned and launched a violent kick at Link. The Hylian backed away, and as soon as his feet had settled, Ganondorf was upon him with a thrust, giving Link little time to hit it away.

Link had nearly lost his balance in the muck from that parry, the tip of the demon's blade singing very close to his neck. He regained himself as he took quick, careful steps back and watched as Ganondorf followed in kind, closing the distancing with slow, pounding boots just as quickly as Link's legs carried him backward.

The hero shifted then; as soon as Ganondorf had caught the pace of his backward footfalls, Link reversed and danced forward, skipping a step or two, launching forward with a thrust.

Yet, the demon reacted swiftly and easily batted away the Master Sword with the back of his empty fist. He unleashed a wide attack at Link's feet, and the Hylian leapt away. Ganondorf rushed him then, bombarding Link with slash and thrust, repeatedly, one right after the other. The small Hylian wove his blade in and around the king's attacks, their magical steel colliding in radiant sparks as they danced and spun.

The weight of Ganondorf's attacks forced Link to give ground, continually backing as he parried. He did not take his eyes from his enemy as he fought, but when his heightened senses detected a surge in the current behind him, he glanced back. In that moment he felt the energy of the barrier humming against his clothes. Even meters away, it scratched at him, hungering to rip him apart. When Link turned back, the king's crown glinted through rain-soaked, unkempt tendrils of crimson hair. The curls of his mane had long been washed out, pulling his strands longer to stick to his cheeks and neck. It was then, looking beyond their clanking blades and into the eyes of the devil that Link saw the renewed glee.

Under the pressing attack of Ganondorf, his only avenue of escape was to be consumed in the current of the barrier. Link cursed himself for falling into the ruse just as he blocked another strike and felt the heavy boot of his enemy knock him back. Unbalanced and arms flailing, he was open to attack.

He felt the vicious, scalding sting of the sage-blade cut along his left shoulder.

Link breathed in through clenched teeth, hissing at the pain, but he could not tend his wound or else he would suffer further. He fought past the smarting ache, countering with a forceful downward swing as he rushed in. The motion killed the nerves in his shoulder, and he could feel the dripping warmth of blood coating his skin and sleeve. However, Ganondorf reacted in exactly the way he had hoped.

Grasping the blade of his sword in his opposite hand to defend horizontally against Link's assault, Link acted quickly, for the king would not hold this stance for long.

For his small stature and agile body, Link was entirely thankful. As he had swung, he had kept the momentum in his toes, and now he pounced, leaping high. All at once a foot landed against the sage-blade, and with the other he kicked down against the humming steel to send him airborne once more. Link spun as he somersaulted above the towering Ganondorf, and he swung at the demon's neck in midair.

The king whirled about in response, bringing up his defense just in time, and the power in his shoulder sent the airborne Hylian flying. Link landed hard and skidded through the mud, but instead of giving into the pain when his injured shoulder hit ground, he used the momentum of the blow to roll onto his stomach and push himself back up.

Mud dripped from Link's sword when he faced Ganondorf once more. His sapphire eyes sparkled like beacons in contrast with the layers of dried blood, sweat, and dirt splattered across his features. His once blond hair stuck to his ears and forehead in clumps of black. Link parted his lips to catch his breath, steadying his shaking extremities. His heart palpitated against his ribs; he could feel its pounding ache as it rushed blood through his veins. He stared up at those yellow eyes once again, eyes that teased him, eyes that terrorized him, the doorway into darkness.

As Ganondorf watched the small man, clenching his puny fist around his stick of a sword, he cocked his head in amusement. This little creature actually thought it was doing well. Did this boy truly think himself the equal of a king? No, not an equal. The Hylian actually thought himself better than, a pure soul. He was as slippery as those glimmering watery eyes of his, but he was not invincible. This tiny man, this insect, would learn that he, Ganondorf, was the rightful heir to the goddesses' power. Link would take his lesson through the sharp point of a king's blade skewering his heart.

Enough play. It was time to break the unbreakable.


	50. Chapter 45 Part 2

**Chapter 45: The Power of Courage PART 2**

Ganondorf took patient steps toward Link and then broke into a run. Link lunged forward with a thrust to defend against the diagonal swipe the king sent downward. Close now, the demon pressed onward, and as he led the Master Sword away with the end of his powerful swing, he dove into Link.

With a roar as monstrous as the bellows of the Dark Beast, Ganondorf came crashing down upon the Hylian. His growling voice hung in the air as it boomed stronger and deeper than any sound in the world, and it drowned the life from the storming skies and prevailing wind that beat against his face. Link felt the jolt before he even realized what had happened.

The left fist of the demon smacked squarely and so forcefully into Link's shield that it wavered and quaked. Its metal buckled against the power of the monster, and cracks splintered through its surface until the great Hylian shield shattered into a hundred shards of useless metal.

Link howled at the violent strike as it shuddered from the metal into his forearm. Time seemed to slow as the shards rained down as Link fell backward. He landed against several of the broken pieces, and though their sharp edges tore through his tunic, none pierced the chainmail beneath. The blow winded him and he choked and sputtered against both the pain shooting through his arm and the shock of his sudden rough landing.

He had no time to nurse his wounds, though, for the demon was upon him once more as he lie there, seemingly dazed and helpless.

A flash of lightning. That was what the sage-blade had appeared to be as it descended toward his neck. It glinted and yellow embers of its majesty sputtered when Link threw up the Master Sword, locking their blades in another struggle of strength. Link felt the intense weight of Ganondorf as the demon's body cast a heavy shadow over him. The king fueled his sword with his full weight, and Link's arms shrieked from the pain of keeping such a crushing mass at bay.

Link held his breath as he fought the gravity of this beast and the pressing pains of his shattered shield underneath. He could feel the steel of his own blade beginning to cut along the skin of his neck, and Link moved his right hand to hold the blade of the Master Sword as he battled the sage-blade. He pressed against the blunt surface of his sword to combat Ganondorf, but he had to hold it so tightly that his own weapon bit at his fingers.

Sweat poured from Link's forehead as his breaths then came in desperate, quick pants, eyes squinted against the pain of his struggle. He could hear the soft but deep chuckle lighting the demon's eyes ablaze.

The king could feel the insect squirming beneath him, and he knew that he was close to the end. He could not help but smile in celebration, lusting for the hero's last seconds.

Beyond the barrier, hisses and low cackles of glee emanated from the shadow army, Zant's slimy lips stretched with an impossible smile. Opposite them, the Hyrulean people stood with eyes wide and hearts hanging.

Rusl cringed at the sight of Link, a boy he had taken in as a son a full eight years before he had had a child of his own. All the years he had cared for Link, watched him grow and learn, crawled back into his mind. From his first words to his first steps, first scrapes and first fears, Link had been a child he had cherished every day. He remembered the face of a three-year-old boy tugging on his pant leg for fear of the dark, and he could recall the day he had helped the thirteen-year-old begin construction on his tree house.

And every memory was coming to an end right before his eyes.

He gripped his sword tight, but there was nothing he could do … and it was killing him.

As Link struggled beneath Ganondorf, he remembered the question he had once asked an ancient warrior. _"…is that my destiny? To die in saving Hyrule?" _

The heavy voice jostled free within his memories. _"If you allow it to be…."_

Link grew strong of that voice, grew deep in the memory that he had a choice. The choice to let shadow crawl into his heart and take its hold, or the choice to cast it back with the fire of the hero within him.

He felt warmth as that thought sent a fresh burst of energy coursing through his bones, building to a burning sensation in his hand. Even through his gauntlet, Link and Ganondorf could see the appearance of a golden mark glowing against the back of his left hand. At first, the king thought it a sign that this pathetic hero was at his last, that the Triforce within him was uncoupling from the dying body of its host. With a sudden wave of nausea, he knew he was wrong. Link was growing strong again, the Triforce bringing him back from the brink just as the might of its power had done for him so long ago.

It was a bad joke. To revive Ganondorf from execution as if confirming his right to rule, just to do the same with this pathetic creature…. Were Link and he destined to continue this battle forever? The essence of the gods keeping them alive, keeping them at odds, ever fighting, ever dying and living?

These were his thoughts when Link had mustered all strength, the light of his hand a symbol of hope in the half-night. A red shimmer sung across the hero's blade then, and in an instant, Ganondorf felt the weightlessness of being airborne when Link gave a final shove against the sage-blade.

By the time Link rose from the ashes of his near-defeat, Ganondorf had landed several meters away. The king hung stooped, regaining himself onto a knee and steadying himself with his empty fist. Link held his right arm gingerly, his forearm still screaming from the blow to his shield and his fingers trickling with the scent of fresh blood. The wave of energy flowing through him, however, the chanting life of the Master Sword, it numbed all pain, all hopelessness.

Gripping the Master Sword in both hands, he bent a knee and drew the full power of the legendary blade into him, beckoned the might of his soul, a soul strong with the presence of heroes past. The power seemed to tremor through the fields beneath him, and he could feel the energy of Hyrule herself lend him her soul. When the energy peaked in a scarlet whistle at the tip of his blade, Link leapt.

He soared through the air and thrust the Master Sword into a downward strike, the crimson energy already beginning to flood from the steel of its humming blade.

The yellow eyes of the devil looked up. A golden light as fierce as the one coursing through Link's fist emerged from Ganondorf's, and the king roared as he cut through the crimson tide with one swish of his blade. The resounding clank of steel grated through the air then, as the king knocked Link's attack away.

The powerful force of their combined energies staggered them both, Ganondorf collapsing onto his fist again after Link bounced sideways onto the ground. Link, small and limber, recovered first, and he came at Ganondorf once more, relentless. With the king stooped over, Link could at last reach him with a straight swing at his neck.

Ganondorf's head snapped up in an instant, and Link realized his ruse all too late.

The king had played on his desperation to take the advance. Ganondorf swatted the Master Sword aside with a quick flick of his saber and slammed his knuckles into Link's face.

Link flew back once more, barely keeping his balance in the mud sucking at his boots, and before he could center his weight, Ganondorf launched toward him, plunging his sword in and batting away the hero's feeble attempt to block its path. The Master Sword escaped Link's grasp, taken captive by the puddles forming at his toes. The sage-blade missed him, to Link's surprise, puncturing only air inches from his neck. Yet, this was all part of Ganondorf's motive.

In the next moment, Link could not breathe. He felt the jaws of death snaking around his throat, constricting and crushing against him. When he grabbed for his neck, he found the giant fingers of Ganondorf instead. Link's lips, bloodied from the previous blow, opened and closed, trying in vain to suck in air. He could feel the discs in his neck convulsing against the hand in the attempt to widen his airway, as he sputtered and bit on air he could not capture.

Link's legs kicked and beat at the arm holding him aloft without result. His fingers pulled and clawed at the tanned skin of the demon's fist frantically. His fingernails etched lines of blood from the king, digging and scraping like a frightened wolf. His eyes widened at the realization of his situation, the truth that death truly was upon him in a matter of seconds, and every muscle in his body thrashed and flailed in his will to escape, his will to live.

As he kicked and clawed all Link could see were the glowing, thirsty eyes of the devil before him, the last image he would see in a darkening world.

Princess Zelda and the Hylian people had fallen into silence. The princess felt the light of her power, the splendor of the Triforce, tugging at her heart as its sisters warred. Zelda could barely breathe from the sensation burning throughout her bones, realizing that her fright came more from the pulsating cries within her as she watched the hero battle. Seeing Link's pain, seeing Ganondorf's power peak only seconds after Link's had saved him … she knew in her great wisdom that the Triforce would not truly be either's saving grace. They were two titans fighting for everything their hearts desired, each with the full belief that their cause was just and right. No amount of power had birthed those beliefs.

Link felt the blood boiling and swirling through his head when he lowered a hand to his belt. He fumbled for the hilt of his dagger as his other continued to gnaw at Ganondorf's flesh, trying its best to lift at least one finger from his neck.

As soon as he could grip his dagger, he cast his arm up to jab its small blade into Ganondorf's arm. A single nerve twitched and jolted the muscles in his hand, giving Link only momentary relief to suck in a rough, garbled breath before the wind was again closed to him … and more tightly.

Link watched in horror as the king patiently sheathed the sage-blade into the ground to wrap a fist around the dagger protruding near his elbow. Without any sign of pain, Ganondorf excised it and grinned. The lethal sparkle in Ganondorf's eye frightened Link, and he furiously kicked as he sputtered, trying to knock the dagger from his enemy's hand.

Ganondorf plunged the dagger into Link's flailing left leg, and Link felt the warm bite of its steel flood his thigh. A scream convulsed through his throat that emerged with the sound of a gurgled cough. The pain shot through his nerves, but he was thankful of the pain; with it came the evidence that he was still very much alive.

He saw the sneer written across the demon's face and knew that the king thought it the end of him. He could see the blind claim to victory in his eyes, had seen it from the beginning. But Link would not yield his life, or the lives of Hyrule.

He truly fought to his very last breath.

Wrapping his fingers over the dagger, he removed it, turned its blade about, and drove it into Ganondorf's wrist…. Deep.

At last, the fingers fell from Link, and the hero collapsed to the ground. He coughed and gasped and sputtered as air once again coursed through his bruised throat. He grasped at his neck, surprised that it pained him to breathe again, the current rubbing against his throat. The numbness that had crept into his lips sent cold tingles through his cheeks, and he could finally feel the tears that had streaked his face.

Link did not linger like this for long, however, for he watched as Ganondorf pulled the dagger from his wrist and toss it aside. The king did not remove his stare from Link as he slowly grasped the hilt of the sage-blade.

The Master Sword glimmered nearby in the rain, but as soon as Link started for it, he felt a tug on his shoulder, raising him only partially from the ground. Before Link's eyes could focus on the image of the sage-blade before him, he felt its sting as Ganondorf smacked its hilt across his face.

The blow sent Link reeling back to the ground, blood flying from his mouth and nose. He choked on its metallic taste only for a moment before he again saw the shinning surface of his weapon. Left hand holding the bleeding wound on his leg, Link tried to banish all thought of his wounds as he resumed crawling for the Master Sword, the blade that would end all suffering.

The moment his right hand landed on its hilt, Ganondorf stomped down.

Lightning pierced the sky and Link's deafening scream became its thundering response. Every bone in his hand crackled and bent with the weight of the king's boot. Tears cascaded down Link's soiled cheeks as the fingers of his opposite hand flexed and grabbed at the boot weakly in answer to the pain. He tried to grab up the Master Sword then, but it was trapped along with his hand.

The scream that had echoed across the field reached the small camp where Telma watched over the horde of wounded Hylians. She looked to Shad, who had remained at her side to help defend the weak, for even with the armies at a standstill, Telma had not trusted the respite. She looked to the young scholar then, terror grasping at the features of her strong, round face. Together, they took up arms and raced across the plain, leaving the remaining soldiers to protect those fallen.

Telma and Shad jostled through the crowds, but when they reached the head of the throng at Auru's side and saw Link struggling on the ground, the hum of the looking glass stole their breath away. Shad froze and dropped his sword. Telma looked to Auru. Her eyes searched for hope, but he had none to return in the dull shine of his. He turned his gaze upon the nearby Rusl. Auru could see that every fiber that held his soul together was slowly tearing away, a part of himself dying each time Link screamed or moaned in pain beneath the tyrant.

Worse yet were the eyes of Princess Zelda. The girl Auru had known had long since diminished. She was a woman grown now, a queen in waiting. She had conquered so much since the time of their farewells; she had seen the death of her father and been given the responsibility of every life in Hyrule. She had borne the weight proudly and honorably. She had done everything right; she had set aside pride, surrendering to a usurper, to keep her people from harm. She had been wise, working in secret, hanging her hopes on a hero until the day she was again free from evil's grasp.

No teacher could have ever been more proud of a student than Auru of his princess. She had done everything for the prosperity of her people, and she wept in the fear that all her suffering had been for naught … undone by this single moment.

Zelda could not help thinking that Midna had been right all along. As she stood by, helpless, looking on as Link struggled, she could only wonder what could have happened had she not surrendered, had she not given in to the will of Zant so easily. Would it have changed anything?

What had she done? Link bore the mark of the goddesses. He was the chosen hero, but she could not help feeling responsible.

Cracks against her hope began to form, and she found herself doing the only thing she could.

Hand against her heart … she prayed.

The King of Evil reveled in the feeling of Link's tiny hand beneath him and the hero's squirming body trying in vain to pry his foot away. He could feel this boy's agony radiate up through him, and it filled him with pleasure. The sense of bliss he felt whenever he saw pain in the eyes of those beneath him never waned. Each encounter left him feeling stronger. It was intoxicating.

The descendant…. The one who had put the gears of his defeat into motion all those years ago….

At last. Justice.

"You have his eyes," bellowed the demon, remembering, and Link stopped for a moment, staring up into eyes poisoned with memory. "Those … blue eyes…." Ganondorf's hand tightened around his sword. It was as if that boy of ten were the one lying beneath him now, stricken with defiance. "Those _willful_ eyes." The memory conjured with it an intense anger, one he had held strong in his black heart ever since the day the armies of the old king of Hyrule had subdued him. His jaw clenched and his eyes hardened under his wild hair. His scowl turned to one of pure hatred, and when he spoke, it was as if he addressed that small boy long since gone from the world. The words came slowly, each syllable filled to the brim with passionate wrath. "Did you truly think a small boy greater than a king?"

With that, Ganondorf launched his blade downward without warning….

And Link howled a furious and desperate roar, kicking at the blade as it descended.

His boot impacted the blade so forcefully that it flew to the side and imbedded in the ground beside him. Surprised by the might of the boy, Ganondorf reeled to the side and staggered there a moment.

Link breathed easier when the weight of the demon lifted, but the damage had been done. Every finger and every bone in his hand had been crushed and twisted. Seeing the breaks caused a new surge of pain that he was barely able to control as he lifted his hand and huddled it close to his stomach. Turning with the aid of his elbow instead, he grabbed onto the Master Sword with his proper hand and pushed himself up. He twirled the blade, testing the weight of it again.

Ganondorf sneered and waved him on. His hollow laugh taunted Link.

But Link did not take the bait.

No longer could Link defend against his strongest attack. If Ganondorf charged and managed to lock blades again, Link knew that without the aid of his right hand, he would not have the strength to resist. He realized now that he had never quite had the advantage in this battle, but now his odds were greatly diminished … and would continue to do so if he did not defeat the king soon.

Agility would be Link's only ally, as it often was with the foes he had faced in the past. He had to take care to mind his surroundings and listen to his instincts as he studied Ganondorf. The king was patient in his movements, and Link mirrored this. He would wait for the demon to attack and find a break in his offense.

After several moments ticked by, Ganondorf and Link circling each other … watching, waiting … the king grew restless. The boy thought to outwit him, he surmised. He had studied. He had learned.

Ganondorf hummed a growl. He would make the boy suffer for his insolence, for thinking himself better than a king.

A burst of speed carried the demon across the battlefield, and Link knew by the way his feet fell that the king would thrust. The Hylian dodged to the right as the king's attack fell. Ganondorf swung wide and Link ducked and slashed at his toes. The king responded with a quick sidestep and downward slash, only to be diverted by the Master Sword.

With that parry Link launched into a set of attacks, but the king never seemed to tire. Wherever his blade soared, the sage-blade was there to block his assault. Every thrust, each wide arc, and a barrage of slices both horizontal and vertical … all parried with little effort and with Link only managing to catch the cape of the king so that by the time Ganondorf swung for his head, the fabric had been reduced to ribbons fluttering in the wind and hanging on the mist.

As Link ducked to escape Ganondorf's last attack, the glowing white scar stretching the length of the king's breast drew his attention. The Master Sword seemed to hum in response to Link's thoughts, hungering for the strike that would render its service complete.

Link thrust for the king's wounded heart, but Ganondorf was in motion. The blade missed its mark and sunk deep into the demon's arm. The stab throbbed and sent waves of jolting pain through his body. The feeling brought on more rage than misery, however, and Link could see the torches of his hatred burn afresh. The Hylian retrieved his blade just as the king swung at his head, skipping back a few steps to give him some room to breathe and study the king's next move.

The rains came harder when the demon snarled. He had delighted in the boy's struggle in the beginning, but now his only pleasure would be to see the light of this hero suffocated.

And he knew exactly how to bait Link.

Ganondorf gripped the sage-blade in a firm two-handed hold, exaggerating the motion slightly so that the hero would take his cue.

Link had been dreading the appearance of this stance, but he held fast to his ground some meters away. Link knew how to break free of this attack before it would be unleashed.

And then the demon charged the hero.

In the last seconds, Ganondorf reared his blade high and swung down swiftly, met by Link's dodging leap to the side, where he prepared an attack. However, this was just the response Ganondorf had expected, and before Link could realize his deception, the king shifted his bearings and sent his fist flying into the boy's chest.

Wind broke free of Link's lungs as he sailed and landed in the mud some distance away. A resounding crack had sounded when knuckles had met his chest, and the dazed Link could not comprehend. His mind when numb and his fingers relaxed over the hilt of his blade. His eyes felt heavy, but even as he fought the sudden bleariness … his sapphire eyes closed.

The hero had fallen for the final time.

Princess Zelda gasped when Link had collapsed. Her hand still clutched her chest in prayer, but tears soaked her cheeks anew in seeing Link once more beaten to the ground.

Rusl's heart fluttered, and he, too, felt faint. His jaw dropped in a silent cry. He could not believe that through all Link's hardships, through all his victories, that it would all end like this. He wanted to call out to Link, to will him to rise again, but each time he tried to form the words, his tongue turned to sand and he could not speak.

No one breathed as they watched on, praying by some miracle that their hero would rise, but … Link lay motionless under the rain and shadows.

From some distant place, a voice seeped into the fallen boy of Ordon.

_"…Your time has come, young warrior, to attest the name of Hero…."_ The voice rattled and echoed into Link's Hylian ears, and words he had vowed to live by vibrated into the core of his being.

_"If you falter, will you remember to pick yourself back up?"_

Link sputtered to life at those words, holding his chest with his wounded right hand. It hurt to breathe. It hurt to move, and he realized that the blow to his chest had likely fractured a rib.

Ganondorf approached him, and Link tried to rise, gripping tightly to the Master Sword once more. In the instant Link had managed to lift his back, Ganondorf kicked his chin and sent him reeling onto his side. He cringed at the stabbing pain that coursed through his chest. Lying on his left shoulder, he did not have a good angle to defend himself against Ganondorf, and he feared the fatal strike surely to come any moment now.

He clutched tight to his chest and his sword when the King of Evil spoke. "Look around you, boy," he gloated. "Hyrule has lost all hope in its hero."

Involuntarily, Link looked out to the many faces surrounding him beyond the barrier. Rusl was there, at the head of the group, eyes wide in terror. Auru, Telma, and Shad. They all stood by with eyes lit in sorrow. Even Ashei, cold-hearted Ashei, who had gathered with the knights next to the general, remained silent, tears hidden in the rain. The general clenched his jaw tight, trying hard to be the soldier, to be the strong leader everyone needed him to be. And then there was Princess Zelda. Beautiful and wise Zelda, clinging to her beating heart, tears drenching her face. Everyone Link had come to care for, frozen in fear, forced to watch as he had fallen time and again at the might of Ganondorf. What the king had said was true. Link could see that hope had abandoned them, and the shame he felt in that moment outweighed any pain.

"Today, you die," said Ganondorf, his words colored with the song of triumph.

_Is this the end?_ thought Link.

That was when he saw it.

"Midna…" he gasped.

There, beside him, were the scattered pieces of Midna's helm, the last bits that remained of his companion. His heart clenched in his chest, and it was harder to breathe. How strange it was that they would be together again like this, lying broken at the end of the world. He wanted to reach out and touch those shards, but his only free hand was as shattered as her memory.

No, not her memory. Link could remember every day with her, from beginning … to end. The way she had sneered at him then, the way the sparkle in her red eye had brought anger to his heart. And then the moment everything had changed. The days her sneer had turned into a smile and her eye had glistened with care. She had always been there. She had been the one to catch him when he fell, to remind him of his oath, remind him of the countless lives depending on him … on them.

Midna had always said they had to save the light realm, and she had died believing in that. She had died believing in Link. She had died trying to do some good, to be as selfless as he had been.

She had died so Link could live.

Link's eyes burned from tears dripping down the sides of his face, and he turned away from the broken Fused Shadow to lie on his back. He looked up, numb to every pain except the one he felt at the memory of losing Midna. He felt the rain beat against him and welcomed the feeling.

The kingdom of Hyrule wept for its fallen hero … wept _with_ him.

He could feel the ground quaking, could feel the booming weight of Ganondorf as the king took slow steps toward him, but Link was numb to the coming of his doom. As he looked up into the darkness clouding the dawn, he could only see Midna, and it was as if she had always been there, hovering above him. He thought he saw her then, flying down to meet his gaze, to heal his hurts, smiling her toothy grin, to take his hand and lift him to his feet. He closed his eyes and could almost feel her small fingers against his cheek. _"What is the one vow you swore to keep?"_ she was asking. Link went to cup his hand over hers and wept anew when he found she was not there.

He opened his eyes and saw Ganondorf's frame towering above him. But Link looked beyond him, into the storm, into the shadows, remembering the warmth of the Twilight Realm.

"…For both our realms," he vowed softly.

It was then that all the terror he had once felt at facing death-at facing Ganondorf-fell away, and he found his true courage, the kind of strength that lived in legends.

_"I will save Hyrule even if it means my life."_ Link remembered saying those words to a very small child and the hope it had bestowed.

This King of Evil owned the goddesses' ultimate power, perhaps, but Link had been blessed with a very special gift. The power of courage flowed through his veins, and he had endowed that same strength and will to live, the everlasting and unbreakable hope for the dawn of a new day, in every soul of Hyrule.

As fear collapsed, the Hero rose.

In the breadth of an eye-blink, Ganondorf thrust his blade at Link just as he leapt to his feet and thrust for the demon's heart.

The moment hung as their audience gasped then watched with bated breath.

Link's brows had furrowed as he looked up into the eyes of the demon, a face only inches from his. Link panted through his nostrils before his bloodied lips parted to catch his heaving breath. His chest was killing him, his body past the threshold of bearable pain. But he stood firm against his pain … the eyes of the king looking down on him. Slowly, the creases in Ganondorf's brow faded as his eyes widened with confusion. His triumphant smirk sunk, and a question took its place, unspoken but lingering on the king's lips, one that would ask the hero … How?

Ganondorf's shock soon turned to rage as he felt the humming twinge of the Master Sword coursing through his body. He staggered back and Link's hands fell from the hilt of the blade piercing his heart.

In the same moment, Link felt a tide of nausea as a slicing pain ebbed from his side. He cupped his broken hand over the searing ache in his left side and saw the blood dripping from the sage-blade before he noticed the crimson trickling through the gaps of his fingers. He realized what it meant, but he turned his attention back to Ganondorf nonetheless, doing his best to hide the gravity of his wound from his audience.

Ganondorf stumbled, dropping the sage-blade onto the tainted field. With his right hand he grabbed for the Master Sword, its blade pushed so far into him that guard had met fabric. His fingers flexed around its hilt, and he found himself unable to touch it, unable to pull it. The feeling left him weak as he gasped and fell to his knees.

He caught himself with a fist, trying to steady his weight, trying to rise as he was meant to. A king did not kneel, and yet he stooped there, unable to remove his pain.

He screamed, prolonged…. And in that bellow, a thousand memories flooded back within an instant.

He remembered what it had felt like … the cold, hard sting of metal lighting his bones on fire. A long time ago … the sages had been the ones to face him at the edge of a sword.

But they had not been able to kill him, not he, the Wielder of ultimate Power. Not he. His power had pulsed anew within him when their sacred blade had pierced his heart. He had always looked to that day as one that had renewed him somehow, for the power within him was a godly thing, and it had run the river of his being and rekindled him in his darkest hour.

Not this time.

Before, when the sages had pierced his heart, he had been rejuvenated with a vigor that uplifted his darkened soul. He had cheated death. The gods had allowed it. But now….

Grunting, Ganondorf pushed himself up slowly, inch-by-inch, and glared down to find the eyes of Link … the eyes of that boy…. In Link's eyes he saw the understanding of what he felt. He knew what it was without having ever felt it before-though approaching its distinct line closely during his lifetime. He had never truly crossed that line until now.

He was dying….

The white scar upon his chest pulsed with a replenished glow, the hole in his darkness that marked his existence and what he had spent his lifetimes trying to achieve.

With his power he should have been able to excise this pathetic blade, this dagger of a sword, but he did not have the energy to pull it forth from his body. Was this what death did upon its approach? Did it truly drain one's energy before pulling the soul into its final plummet into forever darkness? Or was it some other kind of magic?

Staggering, he used his last rasping breaths of life to glower at his executioner. "Do not think it ends here…" he growled, gasping.

Was it that he wanted to press into Link a false but lasting fear of his return … a return that would never come? Or was it true that he may find a way to resurrect himself in the Netherworld as he had done within the Twilight?

His eyes drooped as he nearly tripped, but he gritted his teeth against the blood that seeped through them and down his chin. He peeled his eyes open once again, struggling on his words. "The history of light and shadow will be written in blood!" he proclaimed to Link and all who bore witness.

He fell forward slightly as he spoke but kept himself upright, panting for his breaths to sustain him just a little longer. But his right hand tingled, and when he looked down … his worst fear….

The Power of the Triforce faded from him, and his eyes felt heavier than the world.

Suddenly, he could hear a faint humming that soon rose into distinct voices, and so it was that he could hear the pure song of his gods.

His hands fell to his sides. His chest heaved. His breaths crackled. As they sang to him, he wanted to fight the feelings that came over him, but it was some kind of … peace … that began to consume him as their lullaby soothed him in his final moments. The corners of his mouth fell, and his face grew blank, ears alight with the gentle harmonies of his gods. He watched as the dark clouds in the dawning sky faded and the thunder receded.

It was always darkest before the dawn; that was a law of nature.

And then-

His head jerked back when the pain of his wound pervaded his numbness, its whiteness fading into a black nothingness. His eyes grew white as a perfect cloud. His breath escaped forever, and his head fell forward gently, chin resting against his armor.


	51. Chapter 46 Part 1

**Chapter 46: Serenity in Shadow PART 1**

Only the sound of whirling dust in the wind greeted the plains of Eldin field. The mists of the stormy night had already begun to die away as new light breached the remainder of the graying clouds above. The barrier Ganondorf had erected faded with a final hum of energy. At last the inhabitants of Hyrule and their enemies could converge on Link, but for a long time no one seemed to move as hero and villain stood motionless.

A piercing cry cracked through the winds then, and suddenly, the King of Shadows sprinted toward the broken and blood-splattered hero, flailing his sabers. Link could see desperation in his orange orbs, but Link had no energy and no weapon with which to defend himself. By the time the Hylians readied their weapons and started forward, however, the shadow stumbled and collapsed to the ground … just meters from Link.

Zant cried out, howling and squirming. A rasping sound came from his throat, as if he were choking on sand, and his skeletal hands groped for his neck. He clawed at the coif bunched there, gagging on the light of the dawn. Veins pulsed and throbbed throughout his skull until they ran black at soot. He gasped, frantic screeches gurgled by the pain swelling in his throat.

And then an invisible hand snapped his neck. Zant collapsed to the ground, mouth hanging open and unseeing eyes glaring up at the sky they loathed.

Link understood. The King of Shadows had been revived by Ganondorf. Without his god, Zant could no longer live.

Link held his stomach, cupping his hat over the wound there to better hide it from the Hylian audience, who now took tentative steps forward. As he stood firm, panting against his pain, he looked at the dark body of the Gerudo king. Ganondorf still stood balanced against the field, dead by the blade of evil's bane. Link could hear Zelda approach as he took a cautious half-step forward, watching closely for any movement. Yet, the only motion was in Ganondorf's cape blowing gently behind him.

Zelda stood silently near Link, and for a moment she merely stared in disbelief. There he stand, the man who had-with Zant-tortured the existence of her people and trapped them as mere shadows of their former selves. She bowed her head and new tears-happy tears-caressed her cheek. Hand over her heart, she thanked the gods for a miracle.

Silence again overtook the field … until Link staggered and fell to his knees.

Rusl sprung forward, along with a few knights, but only he dared to approach the hero. As Link sat there, however, he was blind to all that transpired around him. His eyes did not focus, as the bulblins and bokoblins skittered and fidgeted, wondering what would become of them, pondering what it was they should do. The general had come forward and offered Zelda her sword. Link's ears did not hear as the princess faced the opposing army and banished them, never to return to her borders lest they suffer the fate of their master and king. Link did not see them flee, scattering and disappearing into the horizon. He did not see her smile, breathing in the glory of a new day.

Link never heard Rusl kneel, and his comforting words were garbled in his ears. The hero was deep within his thoughts and memories.

His journey had finally come to its end, and yet he had never felt more incomplete. He should have been smiling; he should have been celebrating with the soldiers. He had imagined this day for so long, but now that it had arrived … it was nothing like he had hoped. Link sat there, and he should have felt proud and content with all the smiling, living faces cheering nearby.

But he had never felt more alone.

His companion through all hardships, his one constant, had been ripped from his side. It was as if Ganondorf had cleaved his heart out and left him breathing.

A strange sound washed over the field in that moment, and everyone hushed and turned to look at Link, their hero. Princess Zelda had felt the sudden tension before she took notice of the same sound. When she turned to Link, she saw Rusl crouched next to him. Slowly, Zelda stepped over to the pair, circling around to face Link in the same moment that those of the Resistance drew up behind Rusl.

Link knelt at the broken helm of Midna, fingers grasping bits of its ashes as he cried. The tears of Link fell and crashed against the shards of his memories. His fingers toyed with the pieces aimlessly, as if trying to put her back together and will his companion back into existence. He had once told himself that if one of them were to die in saving their realms, he had wanted it to be him … not Midna. Never Midna.

Nothing could quench Link's lament, and the hero's mourning struck the heart of every soul standing on the battlefield. He choked on his cries and drew his arm in tight against his chest; his sorrow crunched his chest and sent sharp pains through his ribs. He unleashed a strangled wail at the pain his cries caused, but he could not quiet his grief as he knelt there, the melody of his aching heart seeping into the soul of Hyrule herself.

As the people looked on, they realized he mourned for his lost friend, the strange creature they had seen upon the breaking of the barrier. How could they have been so selfish-so blind-to forget that even heroes could bleed? How heartless had they been to think that their hero had not lost things most precious in order to save them?

Princess Zelda knelt to Link then, a sad smile adorning her soft lips, but Link could not meet her gaze, too deep in his grief. Now that Ganondorf was dead, he had time to mourn Midna, and his grief had taken him prisoner entirely.

Zelda stretched out a hand and cupped her fingers gently over his golden head. Link felt warmth returning to him, and when Zelda's hand fell to lay against his cheek, his breaths slowly began to come evenly between gasping cries. His eyes were closed, but he knew it was Zelda before him. He accepted her kind embrace, breathed in and savored the light pouring into him. Yet, in that moment, he found himself wishing the hand to be that of a small imp.

In that moment, he could recall the last moments he had looked upon Midna's face, the look of happiness there. The kind smile and sparkling scarlet eye of someone with the courage to hurl themselves in the face of death if but to save those she cared for.

_Midna … I…._ He had come to realize the truth all too late, and the thought of her swift death choked the thought from his mind.

Light poured onto the fields of Hyrule as if to combat the hero's lament and give new life to a new dawn. As the sun rose, Zelda and Rusl could hear several voices calling out. The words were barely discernible at first, but as more and more heads turned toward the hills, Telma was the first to notice of the Group. She lifted a hand to her brow against the radiant light before realizing what all the commotion was about. She pointed and called to Rusl.

After looking toward the hills and understanding, the blacksmith called to the youth, "Link!" But Link had no energy to listen, no care but his sorrow.

Princess Zelda looked beyond him then and she squinted against the light. She could not tell from this distance, and she supposed none of the others knew the truth either, but it was worthy of attention … and worthy of hope.

She turned Link's chin up in her hand. "Link! Look."

He did not know where he found the strength to rise, but at his princess's command he struggled to his feet. His chest and side pained him greatly and when he stood, his cheeks flushed pale with sweat and he stumbled into Rusl, who had also risen. The blacksmith caught Link and steadied him, realizing the severity of Link's injuries when he caught sight of the green hat he held at his side now stained red.

For that moment, everyone's attention fell to Link when Zelda gasped, seeing the same deep bloodstain at the back of his left side.

Link nearly gave in to the arms of Rusl, but then he heard a soft hum, a familiar singsong, combined with a gentle sound like the ocean. He felt warmth against his back as the princess and the Group exchanged looks and words at how to care for Link's wounds. Link shut out the noise of their uproar and turned to see a strange glow surrounding the eastern hills as the sun rose. After a moment he could make out the shapes of all four light spirits as they returned a natural glow to the rising star. Eldin's wings spanned the horizon above the other spirits and Link wondered if the others could see them, too. Perhaps this was what they had wanted him to see.

As he watched them, however, they presented another gift. In the midst of their light, a silhouette rose beneath them. Link squinted, trying to make out the shape. Only when the bodies of the spirits faded could he make out the small image that remained.

Link gasped and immediately shoved Rusl from him. He heard several objections as he stood there, staring at the lone figure on the hilltop. It took another moment for him to accept what it might be, his eyes slowly widening and his lips parting in a bewildered gasp.

He stepped toward the distant figure then, slowly at first, each step a struggle from both his pain and his disbelief. Link cast off Rusl and Auru's attempts at grasping his arm, ignored Telma's concerned eyes, and by the time Link's feet sped to a slow walk, everyone's attention turned back to the shadowy figure atop the furthest and highest hill. Rusl did not race after him when Link broke into a jog, understanding that nothing would obstruct his path.

Running sent searing pains through his body, but Link did not stop. He pushed past the pain and broke into a sprint, struggling up the hills, eyes fixed on the shadow that then collapsed. When Link reached the top of the hill, he stopped suddenly, at a distance from the strange figure that knelt on the ground, its back facing him.

Link did not know what to think as he stood there, panting and aching. He held tighter to his side as his chest throbbed and stabbed at his insides. He had thought beyond all hope that the dark figure he would find here would be Midna, but the body, blanketed by a long black mantle, was quite large and nothing like his imp companion.

After a long moment, the strange figure rose, its black cloak hanging loosely against its figure. Link scanned the white and peridot designs across its back and rediscovered the serene beauty of which Midna had often spoken. Just as it had stood, the figure turned to reveal a feminine face of blue skin curtained by reddish orange hair. The eyes were closed and downcast at first, but as the woman twirled about to face Link, she opened her eyes and cocked her head. The smallest of smiles adorned her beautiful violet lips.

Link's breath left him. He did not know what to say, what to do. He had never seen this woman's face before and yet he was consumed by the embrace of her eyes. Under the light of the dawning day, her perfect and smooth blue skin gleamed like starlight veiled in the black drapes of her voluminous attire. Long legs supported a stature that loomed nearly a head taller than him. He could barely see the black toes of her bare left foot due to the black skirt with beautiful white swirling patterns hanging from her hips, but the full slit down the right side bared the entirety of her other blue leg, a grey bracelet hugging her ankle.

His eyes worked their way up her figure, past her bare blue belly and the blackened curves of her torso, shoulders and arms covered by the mantle enwrapping her. The pointed hood of her cloak covered most of her head, leaving room for her voluminous ruby hair to lay freely to the sides of her face, the longer tresses coming together against her breast in an ornate grey pin. Her wavy bangs curved in toward her lips and were held at bay by long strands above her eyes that she had drawn back to either side and tied like ribbons around the top of her hood.

That was when he saw the curious headdress she wore. Its design was minimalistic, much like that of an ornate bar resting upon her head. A glimmering headpiece set perfectly against her forehead, its curving design much like that of two snakes with wings, tails intertwining several times before coming to a point along the bridge of her long, thin nose. A single ruby shined between their necks, and thin chains spouted from their mouths to connect it to the headdress above.

In her face Link saw something kind, something gentle and serene. He looked into her eyes, deep violet shadows against her lids outlined by the darkest black brows and lashes. There was something familiar about her eyes, yellow surrounding the red of her irises that glistened as dark as garnets in the shadows cast from the sun.

The woman only had eyes for Link, gazing upon him with a knowing sparkle. "What?" she finally asked, and her smile deepened into a beautiful thin line. "Say something."

Link did not understand. The woman spoke to him as if she knew him.

"Am I so beautiful that you've no words left?" she asked, her deep but soft voice rising in pitch on her last words. Her red eyes teased him when she tilted her head to the side, looking onto him from an angle that slightly masked her other eye … as if to remind him of something. She turned her head back to him fully, waiting for a reply, still wearing that beautiful smile.

Those subtle signs were what freed Link to the truth. The rising tone of this woman's voice, the small grin … the single red eye.

At first, Link could not believe it, and he realized his jaw had dropped at this woman's beauty and the shock that she stood before him. It was as if the gods and the spirits had answered his prayers, rewarded him for completing his task.

The image of Midna … no longer cursed … healed his every hurt. She was … nothing he had ever imagined. He had seen her always as the small imp. Now, high cheekbones and a small, heart-shaped chin brought shape to a once round face, and her high, nasally voice had become deeper, yet soft like Zelda's. The voice of royalty. The voice of a queen.

But just from her teasing words, he knew … this was still his Midna. She still had her spirit, her laughter, her unfailing beauty.

Link closed his mouth as his eyes stared wide at her, drinking in her image. It was like losing himself in a mirage, but he knew she was real. She had come back to him.

_"See you later,"_ she had always said. And so he had.

Midna was alive.

It took him a long moment before he could blink away the tears that had dried against his eyes. An overbearing emotion tugged at his heart and lifted his lips. He let out a small breath, relieved and happy, as his mouth turned into a wide smile, sapphire eyes twinkling like amethysts in the growing light.

The companions stood there for a long moment as their eyes traded the warmth of their happiness. They had journeyed far and wide together, and now as they stood reunited at the end, Link could not think of anywhere else he would rather have been. When he finally collapsed to the ground from the weight of his wounds, his joy remained.

Link had not felt the crash of the ground, however. Suddenly, he found himself looking up into the eyes of Midna as she knelt, cradling him in her arms as he had once done for her. She supported his head in the curve of her left arm. Link's strength had fled and his right arm had fallen from his injury. Midna cupped her hand gingerly over his hat covering the wound in his side. He felt her gentle touch and it soothed him. He looked into her eyes and grinned against the pain washing over him. Link had expected to find grief creasing her brows, for they both knew his injuries were great.

But she did not weep. She only smiled that small, silent smile.

Link reached up to touch her new face but found he did not have the strength, and his fingers fell away only inches from her smooth skin.

_Midna … I…._ he tried to tell her. He wanted to tell her. But the pain was too great.

Midna slid her hand up to rest against his cheek, and he closed his eyes. During the battle and in its aftermath, this was all he had wanted. Her reassuring fingers stroking his cheek. He fell into the feeling and lost himself there. His heavy breaths slowly eased and he vanished beneath a weak grin.

Link did not reopen his eyes as Midna held him. She stroked his ear and the blue ring hanging from the lobe before parting the soiled blond hair from his blood-drenched forehead. As she held him there, she had almost forgotten the masses gathered below in the fields. When she looked away from the motionless hero, she saw the countless faces of the Hylians … and even the Twili. It had not been too late for her people after all. The shadows had receded from their bodies, and they had been reborn.

The Twilight Princess looked on … humbled and grateful.

Just as Midna had shown Link that there was serenity in even the darkest of shadows, it had been he, a boy of only seventeen, who had showed two realms the true meaning of courage and selflessness.

As she watched the faces of every man and woman as they rejoiced, Midna was surprised to see how the Hylians, though cautiously, approached several Twili to introduce themselves and exchange sentiments. Shadow and light had merged, but it had not created darkness as Zant had once proclaimed.

It was peace. A peace unknown to her realm for as long as she had known. Always, there had been a burning torch of resentment in her people for the light, but now … Midna could feel the brightening sun dousing those flames.

But at what cost?

In the long days before this dawn, the Twili and the people of Hyrule had suffered greatly. Pain, sorrow … death. They were sins that could not be forgiven.

_Light and shadow are not meant to merge,_ Midna realized. She closed her eyes, forcing herself to accept this.

When she looked at Link it was with a heavy heart. She was thankful for the time she had been allowed to walk in his shadow, but she knew their time as companions had come to an end.

===============

Sticky warmth hung to him and his breath caught in his chest. A throbbing ache vibrated through his nerves. He could hear a shuffling sound and a creak close by, and when Link opened his eyes, a shadow loomed over him. Something touched his face as the figure spoke, but his eyes could not focus as he lie dazed on his back. He felt the cool sensation of water pat against his forehead, but the cold did not last long before his sweat nullified the pleasant feeling.

He tried to move and heard someone shout. A set of hands trapped him, and he tried to struggle against the new figure that bobbed into his blurry vision. He tried to speak, but all he heard was a mumble escape his lips. His torso held down, he attempted to move his legs, to shuffle his body away, but with another shout, another set of restraints seized him.

A stabbing pain jolted through his side then, and Link screamed. He tried to get away, tried to run, but his right arm had been tied down and the restraints across the rest of his body kept him rooted. He cried out at another cutting sting and wrestled with renewed vigor, tossing his head about furiously.

He heard shuffling to his right, and heard the voice over him call out. "No! Leave, Colin."

Dazed at the appearance of the name, Link's muscles relaxed slightly, turning his head. He tried to call the name, to see if it was truly him, but he only managed to croak the first syllable. He saw a feminine body with short sandy hair usher a small figure away, looking back at him just before they escaped through the door.

Link struggled to make sense of his surroundings, tried desperately to understand what was happening. The man above him looked so familiar, and there were four others. A plump woman to his left alongside a man with white hair, a black-haired woman at his toes, and a dark-skinned man with long hair made large by his heavy clothes. It was this man that leaned over his stomach, pinching and stabbing him. Red coated the man arms from fingertip to elbow.

Link roared something unintelligible at this man, and he shouted, not at Link, but at the two to Link's left. In another moment, the rotund woman was shoving something at his face. He turned away from it, fearing what it might be, but with a hand on his cheek she had pulled him back. A strange scent wafted into Link's nostrils and it made him dizzy. He tried to fight the effect it had, tried to fight the sensation that lulled his eyelids to close … but in an instant he fell into blackness.

===============

When Link next awoke, sweat still hung against his cheeks and hair, but he felt cool and light. He blinked several times, trying to readjust himself, trying to get a sense of where he was. Breathing was still a little difficult, but he could not understand why. Memories tugged at his mind like a dream resurfacing, and he could remember the blurry sight of bodies surrounding him and the stinging pains that had ailed him. He lifted a hand to his throbbing head and found a bandage there.

A memory flashed in his mind. Tumbling from his horse. Hitting the ground. Dizziness.

He removed his hand and flexed his fingers. They were sore, blisters covering his bare palm, and with it came another memory of a darkened field and his shinning blade.

Suddenly a sting pulsed through his right arm and he breathed in through clenched teeth. He looked down and saw his arm was bandaged heavily, from fingertip to elbow. He recalled the blow to his forearm, the singing pain when his blade cut his fingers, and the thundering crunch when his hand had shattered under the massive weight of Ganondorf.

_Ganondorf!_

Link's nerves jerked at the memory; his eyes widened and he bolted upright.

…Or would have.

The extent of his wounds had made that impossible. He had only lifted himself an inch before collapsing under the pain stabbing through his chest and gut. Link looked down and lifted the sheet that covered his naked body. His chest had been wrapped, and he knew then that a rib or two had indeed been broken or at least cracked during his dance with the devil. Looking farther, he found another large bandage covering his left side, red splotches soaking the white material.

At the sight he remembered the final blow to Ganondorf, the thrust that had been equally fatal to himself … or so he had thought. The memory refreshed the pain, and Link bit his lip as he let the covers fall. He tried to breathe out the pain, but the more he thought about it-and the more he tried not to think about it-the worse the pain became and the dizzier he felt. Suddenly, the cold crept into him again, and he could feel another splatter of sweat trickling from his hairline and neck. He closed his eyes; he felt like a child again, nauseous from the pain of being sick and nearly in tears at the prickle of its fingers stretching his insides.

The ill feeling bottled inside him and he retched, body curling to the side on reflex even with the pain of moving. The sound of his sick splattering against the floorboards and his pained moans and grunts woke the sleeping figure near his bedside.

"Link!" a feminine voice gasped, and she leapt up from her chair. Avoiding the vomit, she appeared at Link's side in an instant.

Link, lying once more on his back, looked up at the figure blocking the lantern light. Under the woman's shadow, he first thought he stared up at Midna, but when his eyes focused, he found the concerned gaze of his childhood friend.

"Il…ia?" he managed, realizing how painful it was to talk. His throat felt swollen and when he spoke, the words scratched.

Ilia hushed him. "It's all right, Link," she smiled, wiping the sick from the corner of his mouth with a wet cloth. She then laid the cloth next to a basin on the bedside table. "I'll call Renado. Don't move, Link."

Still dizzy, Link tried to digest her words as he heard her footsteps recede from the familiar room. In a few moments, she had returned with the shaman. He looked as exhausted as Link felt, and he made his way from the door near the foot of Link's bed to stand alongside the resting warrior, smiling.

"It is good to see you awake," he said, and Link's eyes wandered from his face to the doorway, where a familiar group of children had gathered. It took him a moment to put names to their faces. Talo and Malo hugging the doorframe and Beth standing next to them.

"…managed to stop the bleeding, but you lost a lot of blood," Renado was saying when Link looked back to him. "You are still with fever, but with rest and care, you will recover. I ask that you try not to move around." He must have noticed how bleary Link still looked, for he added, "Do you understand?"

Link nodded, as the young Luda entered the room and stepped to the left side of Link's bed where several bowls had been scattered. She went to work mixing liquids and herbs together after presenting Link a kind smile.

Renado was turning to leave when Link clumsily reached out to grab the shaman's sleeve. He had almost lunged for him, for Renado had stood on his incapacitated side. Rising to stretch his arm out pained him, and he grunted against the feeling, holding firm.

The shaman turned back to him and eased him back into bed. "Let nothing trouble you, Link," he soothed.

But Link's insides burned as he tried to speak. He was too weak for words, but he only had one question.

"Where…?" he tried.

The shaman smiled. "You are safe in Kakariko Village. Worry not, Link. You are among friends."

Link had been able to surmise that much, however, and that had not been the intent of his question. He tried again, struggling against the words as they grated against his throat. "No…. Wh…. Mid…. Where … Midna?"

Renado's eyes lit with understanding. "Your friend is here. And she is well." The shaman sat on the bed lightly. "Everyone is safe. Link, you need not worry. Hyrule is safe again … because of you. Now, you must rest. Worry on nothing else. There will be time for talk when you are well."

Link found comfort in those words, and before the shaman had disappeared from the room, children watching him from afar, he had fallen once more into sleep.

===============

Distant voices echoed into Link's ears and softly shook him awake. His eyes opened slowly, but he found he could focus almost immediately. He breathed and, though his chest still felt heavy, the pain had lessened. The sweat that had once coated his skin had been washed away and he could feel a natural warmth flowing through him again.

To his left he found Luda asleep in a chair, and to his right he found Ilia, awake and approaching. "Link, how are you feeling?" she asked.

"Thirsty," he realized; his voice still croaked when he spoke, no doubt from the lack of water.

Ilia went to the basin next to his bed and scooped water into a cup. She helped Link raise his neck and shoulders and kept a firm grasp on the cup as Link also held onto it to take a few sips. He thanked her and nestled back down, weary and light-headed.

He could hear the voices again, and realized that they wafted in from the outside. He turned to Ilia. "How long…?"

"It was three days since you last woke," she said, and he could see the worry lingering in her eyes, as if she had been crying over the anxiety that he might not wake. "Two before that, when Renado stitched you up." Link could see her shudder at the memory, but he could only remember bits of confusion and struggle. "Your fever finally broke last night."

_Five days_ … thought Link, blinking away the sleep in his weary eyes. He tried to rise, but Ilia stopped him.

"I'm not sure you should get up," she insisted. "Maybe you should eat something." She said it as though she did not know what to do, flustered at tending to the conscious Link, but then she decided. "Telma made some stew. I'll bring you some."

Link nodded and was pleased to know that the ever cheerful redhead was around somewhere. He could recall the way Telma had looked at Renado and the awkward way the shaman had held himself when he knew she watched him. He had seen some spark in Telma's eye, but Renado just seemed ill at ease under her gaze, and he wondered how the shaman had fared under her lingering eyes over the course of five days.

He chuckled at the thought, but it hurt and he threw up his hand to his chest as if to calm the ache. Link felt a desperate need to stretch his muscles. Every cell in his body ached, and he gathered the stiffness had been the result of both the grueling battles against the demon king and the long days of immobility that had followed. Fighting against the cracking aches, he finally lifted himself to sit against the headboard, stuffing his pillow behind him. He moaned, both comforted at the change in posture and woozy at the struggle to maintain it.

When Ilia reentered the room, he realized he was still quite nude and he bunched the covers closely around his hips, knowing his nakedness would startle her, but Ilia knew the covers were his only clothes and she still felt embarrassed. Though she tried not to show it, offering him a bowl and sitting on the edge of the bed in front of him, she could not hide the faint blush in her cheeks.

Link took the bowl kindly but soon realized that he could not both hold it and spoon the stew into his mouth. He could not use his right arm, and just as he tried to find a polite way to ask her help in feeding himself, Ilia realized her mistake. "Oh! I'm sorry!" she spat, and she only blushed deeper. "I should have realized." She scooted forward and took the bowl from Link and spooned some of the vegetables onto the utensil. Ilia brought it to his lips so that he would not have to bend his chest to eat.

Ilia's outburst had woken the snoozing Luda, and when the raven-haired youth sat up, she smiled through sleepy eyes. "It is good to see you up," she said, and she rose from her seat. "I will let Father know you've awoken."

Link watched her leave as he ate another spoonful. The food tasted good on his tongue. Each bite scratched on its way down, but it was a good feeling, one that soothed an unreachable itch.

"The boys have been worried about you," offered Ilia with another spoonful. Link listened and watched her eyes as he slowly chewed the food. "Well, Talo mostly. He was trying not to show it, but…." Her voice trailed off and Link wondered if perhaps she was thinking about how Talo's concern had been mirrored within her. He thought back on how she had embraced him in the spirit spring and how a deep care had returned to her when she had regained her memories.

_"…promise me…. Just come home safely,"_ she had said. Ilia had always been afraid of losing him.

Ilia presented another bite of stew, but Link declined. He had not eaten much, but his belly already felt as if it had swollen. Ilia's shoulders slumped and she rose to set the bowl down by the basin. A thought came to her then, bringing a little life back to her features. "Colin was never worried, though, you know? 'Link can do anything,' he kept saying."

The corner of Link's mouth lifted, but when he heard the voices again, joined by some sort of creaking sound, he finally asked, "What's been going on?"

"At first, we didn't know what had happened," she said as she sat back down, "just that Castle Town had been evacuated. Some of the refugees came here. Then … five days ago soldiers started arriving. There were a lot of wounded, and Renado and Luda have been working ever since to tend to everyone…." When Ilia's voice trailed off, Link knew that some memory had stirred within her, and he let her overcome its hold in her own time.

"When they brought you in…. When I saw you … in Rusl's arms…. We … I … thought you were…." Tears came to Ilia's eyes at the thought, and Link put his hand on her shoulder to comfort her.

Embarrassed, Ilia tried to change the subject, without looking at him. "Most of the soldiers have returned to the castle; I think some of them were still healing, and there are still several in Renado's care downstairs. I think some of them are planning to stay to help Renado rebuild the town, but most of them are returning to the city once they're back on their feet."

Relief spread through Link at these tidings. _Rebuild._ Hearing the word brought a certain sense of accomplishment. The Hylians had lost much in the swift war against the demon king and his minions, but Link found relief that they were ready to so quickly right the wrongs that had terrorized them.

"Where are my clothes?" asked Link, and Ilia's head popped up, staring at him blankly before she understood.

"I don't think you should move around yet," she said.

"I just need some fresh air," he promised, and his tone assured her that he was indeed not planning to sprint off to fight more monsters.

Still unsure, she rose and collected his leggings and white undershirt from the windowpane where they had been set to dry. Link could tell they had been washed-no doubt by either Luda or Telma-for the stains that had collected were no longer visible. Ilia knew he needed help to dress but only helped him halfway into his pants, his blankets covering his waist. Once she had tugged each leg above his knee, she let Link do the rest. He struggled into his pants and wrestled to tie the strings at his waist. He rested a moment before asking her help with his shirt. Link lifted his arms in front of him as Ilia slid his sleeves on, taking extra care with his bandaged right. Grunting, Link raised his arms above his head, and Ilia tucked his collar down around his head and neck.

Link thanked her then tried to stand up. His feet gave away and he fell to one knee, clutching to the side of the bed. The pain in his side spiked from the jarring fall, but Link was determined. He felt lightheaded only for a moment, and nodded when Ilia asked if he was all right. He knew his stumble was likely due more to not having used his muscles in nearly a week and less because of his wounds. He knew it would be a struggle, but he could not remain cooped up any longer.

He pulled himself up, holding his right arm in close from some involuntary need to protect his vulnerability. As Link held himself there a moment, readjusting his weight and flexing his legs, Ilia left his side only for a moment before returning and asking for his arm. He offered it out when he realized what she held. Carefully, she slid the cloth around his forearm and then tied it at the back of his neck. Link let his arm rest in the sling and thanked her.

With Ilia at his side-her hands clasped around his left forearm-Link managed to leave the room behind him and come to lean against the railing of the balcony overlooking the downstairs. Tables crowded the floor, and a wounded soldier rested on every one of them. Some slept, some ate, while others still clutched their hurts and hungered for relief. The sight pained Link deeper than his own injuries, and Ilia could see it in the way his eyes wavered.

"I know what you must be thinking," she said. She had always been so quick to know his thoughts. "But all these soldiers will live _because_ of what you did."

Ilia was right, of course. His actions had saved the lives of countless Hylians, but the thought of seeing so many injured … of knowing so many had died…. It hurt because he knew that no matter his efforts, there had never been a way to save them all. He wanted to walk among them, assure himself that Ilia was right, that everything he had bled for had indeed been worth it.


	52. Chapter 46 Part 2

**Chapter 46: Serenity in Shadow PART 2**

He started down the stairs, taking each step slowly with Ilia nearby as he guided himself along with a hand against the wall. He had to stop a few times to catch his breath, but he eventually reached the bottom. He leaned his shoulder against the wall then, taking a moment to rest his cramped legs. Ilia asked if he needed to sit; he shook his head and released her of her concern, asking her to tend to those in need of care.

She left reluctantly and tossed him the occasional glance when she leaned over a woman holding her leg. Link watched as she fetched some herbs, but then his eyes danced around the room. So many faces, so many people he did not even know.

He spotted Talo, with Malo at his side, reenacting some great battle with the wooden sword Link had given him. Three wounded Hylians made up their audience as the children exaggerated every move. Link smiled at this and laughed when the child spun and tripped, prodding a laugh from one of the soldiers, whose merriment was cut short by the pain in his stomach. Link also found his chuckle stifled by pain, and he clutched his chest with a weak cough.

Link took that opportunity to step through the crowds, and was surprised when a soldier held an arm out to him. He saw a gruesome wound in his shoulder and could sense the presence of magic, knowing with certainty that this solider, too, had been lucky to survive the sage-blade. Link returned his gesture and clasped his forearm. The Hylian held him there and through a mangled voice, he said softly, "Young hero. Thank you."

It still astonished Link whenever the people recognized him, and he only managed a flustered nod in response. When the soldier's grip fell, Link resumed his slow pace.

Link found Shad a few tables away writing in one of his journals as the soldier next to him slept soundly. Link was glad to see the scholar had at last traded sword for pen once more. His cracked spectacles hung low on his nose as he wrote, lost in thought. Curious, Link approached him quietly so as not to disturb him. Looking over his shoulder at the pages, Link noticed that amongst his feverishly written notes, he had begun a sketch of a rather beautiful and regal woman.

When Shad looked up from his drawing, so did Link, and he caught sight of Shad's current muse. Near the center of the room, tending to a soldier with a bloodied head, sat Princess Zelda. She had removed her armor and every ornament save her red and silver earrings. She had even removed her glowing golden crown bejeweled by sapphires, leaving her brown and yellow hair to tumble freely around her face and shoulders. Her arms were bare, and her violet kirtle hung low on her chest. When she leaned forward to place a wet towel over the knight's forehead, Link realized he had never noticed the cut of her backless dress. He found himself captivated by her rare beauty, and he thought that Shad's sketch-with gentle eyes and a kind smile-captured her perfectly.

Link could hear her singing, but her voice was so soft that he could not hear the words. The gentle tune reminded him of a mother's lullaby. The melody soothed Link, and he noticed that Shad had stopped drawing in order to watch and strain his pointed ears.

A cough escaped the knight, and Zelda grabbed for the cup next to her. Unsettled, she calmed the man with a palm against his cheek and looked up, spotting Shad in only a few moments. "Master Shad, please, bring us more water," she asked kindly.

Immediately embarrassed at being caught staring at her, Shad broke into a nervous flutter, dropping his pen. "I-I … Of course, Your Highness," he sputtered, scrambling after his pen and using it as a bookmark as he rose and stumbled toward the kitchen counter.

Zelda had watched as Shad rose and moved away, but her eyes did not follow when they caught sight of Link, silent and staring her way. At first, she was shocked at seeing him; it almost felt like seeing a ghost, and she gasped when she met his gaze. Her discomfort soon turned to joy when she saw Link smile at her. It was a weak grin, but seeing him here, standing against all odds … it warmed her heart.

Just as Link began his approach, Shad appeared at the princess's side, offering her a cup of water. "Thank you," she said, taking the cup.

"You're-uh-welcome, Your Highness," came Shad's clumsy reply.

She turned her attention back to the knight to help him drink its contents just as Shad noticed the advance of a rather broken and beaten individual.

"Link, ole boy!" shouted Shad, and he slapped a hand merrily against his shoulder, which quaked through Link's body and struck his wounded chest, producing a sharp intake of breath. Shad immediately stumbled over an apology, but Link waved him off. He knew the bookworm was simply happy to see him alive and well. "I say, perhaps you should sit?" tried Shad, offering Link a chair.

He only leaned against the back, however; bending down to sit and rising again would prove more difficult than standing his ground and bearing with the aches throbbing through him. He took in Shad's battered appearance, violet jacket cut in a few places, and a single bandage wrapped around his upper arm. There were small scratches along his neck, and Link thought perhaps he had been very fortunate against the claws of a shadow beast. Needless to say, seeing Shad's awkward smile helped the strength return to him.

"Honey, what are you doin' out of bed?" called a familiar mothering voice from the doorway. Link turned to see Telma and Ashei on approach. "You sure you're well enough to be walking around?"

"I'm fine," assured Link.

Even though he was sure Telma did not believe him, she smiled brightly all the same. "Good to see that face again. There was a lot of talk … lot of worry. I'm sure the soldiers here are happy to see you about."

"You're too stubborn to die," Ashei said plainly, without any hint of emotion.

Link laughed at the warrior woman's sentiments, but it was immediately choked out of him. He held his chest when he spoke. "It seems I missed a few days."

His body may have been broken but his spirit had gone unscathed, and it brought a wider smile to Telma's face. "Well, as you can see, we've been tending to the wounded here. Once they're out of the woods, we've been escorting them back to the city. Renado's got his hands full." She spotted the shaman in the crowd as he applied a paste to a soldier's head wound. Her smile turned to one more womanly, a smile carrying a secret. "But he knows his trade."

There was a moment of silence as Telma's thoughts lingered, and Ashei filled the void. "We're ready to take another group," she told the princess.

Before Zelda could reply, Telma made her way toward Renado, calling over her shoulder, "I'll just see who's ready."

Ashei shook her head, and Link wondered if she was sickened by Telma's behavior … or jealous. She had always been a lone wolf, seeking the aid of no one and nothing but the skills her father had passed on to her. He wondered if she preferred it that way or if she was so set in her ways that it was difficult to let anyone get close. She nearly snapped at Shad then, "You coming?"

Shad caught himself staring down at the princess again, and he awoke from his daze in an embarrassed stammer of syllables before he managed anything coherent. "Oh! Yes, of course."

"Good. You can help me finish unloading the provisions then," she spat, and Shad stumbled after her as she stepped briskly for the door.

Link watched them go with a grin, wondering if the two of them would ever get along. He could only guess that the provisions Ashei had mentioned had been brought from Castle Town to help with the care of the wounded.

The battered hero realized he was at last alone with the princess then. The soldier before her had finally fallen into restful dreams, and she held her gaze there a moment before turning her eyes on Link. Her eyes were the only jewels still on her person, two piercing sapphires staring into their twins she found in Link's gaze. Neither of them spoke; neither was sure what to say.

Then the princess said only a few words, and Link could feel a thousand more carried in the weight of her voice.

"Link, chosen hero…. Thank you."

Link could read every worry, every thought, she had ever had in her isolation during Twilight's reign. He could see every prayer she had ever sent, every hope she had ever wished. She thought perhaps that Link was the only person who could realize the weight that had burdened her all this time. The safety and security of her people had always been paramount to anything else, and Link, as the chosen hero, had also carried the same concerns. Their actions had been the weight that tipped the scale in their favor. Had they wavered, had they faltered … they would have instead been surrounded by corpses.

She felt lighter than she had ever felt before. She could breathe again. And it was all thanks to Link. She grasped his hand and smiled.

He did not know how to respond. He had stood against oppression, stood against a false king and prevailed, and he had never taken any action to serve his own ego. Everything he had ever done he had done for the welfare of those he cared for. Link knew he had always had a choice, but there was never any question that he would speak for those without voice and stand for those who could not. It had never really been a choice. It had only ever been reaction. It was in his blood.

Link coiled his fingers around hers and said plainly, "Give anyone the hope to fulfill a dream and they have the heart of a hero, Princess. I am simply … Link."

Zelda could not help the smile that stretched her cheeks. After all the things he had done, all the hurts he had healed and the prayers he had answered … he was still so humble and true. "Please, call me Zelda," she answered.

"Of course … Princess Zelda," he returned.

She gave a light chuckle at his respectful tone, but she sensed an air of joviality in his voice that teased her. This was the Link she would always remember. This modest youth, broken and smiling, was the one the legends would speak of for ages to come.

She drew her hand back and Link shifted his weight. He coughed and held his chest with a grimace.

"Still sore?" asked Zelda.

He nodded then cocked his head. "But well enough."

"In that case, there is someone who may wish to see you." Zelda rose from the slumbering knight's side and led Link through the rows of makeshift beds toward the door, moving slowly as Link took each step carefully.

Daylight broke across Link's face when they emerged from the house. Its warm fingers wrapped around him, rejuvenating him inside and out. He closed his eyes, breathing in the smell of the mountain air. His chest did not pain him as badly, and it made him smile; he really had just needed some fresh air.

"So, who-?" he started to ask, but when he looked to Zelda, she had disappeared from his side. He searched the thoroughfare, but only saw the wagons lining the street and Ashei and Shad unloading crates from the one closest to Renado's house. There were several Gorons about, too, one coming to the aid of the young scholar when he dropped his crate.

Surely the princess had meant to bring him to Midna, the face he had wanted to see again since she had returned to him on the field. He needed to know that it had not been just his imagination or some elaborate dream he had invented while in recovery.

Link found Zelda in front of the town's old market, but the figure she stood alongside was not Midna. Auru and Barnes were there, stooped and helping to fix the broken wagon sitting in the road, but it was the third man who stole Link's attention when he turned. The blacksmith's lips parted in a silent breath. Link's chest tightened, squeezing his heart and making it difficult to breathe all of a sudden. Here was the man who had carried him through childhood … the man who had carried him broken and dying from the battlefield.

As Link descended the stairs, holding fast to the railing, Rusl approached. They met a meter apart at the base of the stairs. His cheeks paled as he looked at Link but the color returned in another instant; it was as if his heart had stopped at the sight of him and he had to remember how to breathe. Beneath the bandages under his shirt, the dressings covering the side of his head, the sling in which his broken arm hung … there was the smiling boy he had always known. He had grown so much since leaving Ordon Village; he could see it written with every scar that now addressed his features. But through every change, Rusl could still see that small child swimming in the ocean of his eyes.

Rusl threw his arms around Link then, and the sudden, wordless embrace took the youth by surprise. The blacksmith took care not to hold him too tightly, embracing him around the shoulders to avoid his injuries. In that moment Link remembered when he had been six years old. He had gone off into the woods-much like Talo had done once-and gotten lost. The way Rusl had clung to him once he had been found … Link had never forgotten that comfort, and he lost himself again in that tenderness, returning Rusl's gesture with his only good arm.

"Link!" The young voice broke them apart, and Link found Colin across the road, pulling Epona along by the reins. He had a half-eaten carrot stick in his hand. "Ilia wanted to take care of you, so I took care of Epona for you."

Rusl stepped back to give Link room as Colin and his horse approached. Link smiled. Colin had not given him an incredulous look like the others had. He remembered what Ilia had said, about how he had never shown concern over Link's recovery. Colin had that rare and unbreakable spirit, and he tousled his short sandy hair.

"What's this?" asked Link, and Colin offered out the carrot he had obviously been feeding Epona. Link grinned. "Her favorite."

Link presented the vegetable to his horse and patted her forehead after she grabbed it up between her teeth and chewed until it disappeared.

"Did Dad tell you?" asked Colin, and Link turned back to him. Rusl had not spoken a word to him yet, but before he could say anything, the boy was already speaking again. Link wondered where the shy boy had gone. "This wagon broke on the way back from the city, and Dad's fixing it up for us." Colin pointed to the wagon Rusl, Auru, and Barnes had been leaning over. "In a few days we'll be going back home."

_Home…._

Link was not sure how to respond, so he said nothing at all.

He had not been to Ordon since before he had helped the Gorons recover their patriarch. The children had waited many days longer to see their homes and parents again. Colin's comment had taken Link off guard, and a strange feeling overtook him. The feeling, strong an inescapable, was difficult to shield from the boy and the others looking on. His memories of Ordon had not faded, but they had dimmed. Link thought perhaps the sentiment of "home" seemed so alien because he had traveled for so long. Now, Ordon seemed like a dream, a fantasy, compared to the constant war he had been fighting across Hyrule. And, often like dreams, it was hard to remember a place without worries and wars.

Just then the reality of the struggle came crashing down again as nearly thirty horses rounded the cliffs in the distance to the north. The sound of their thundering hooves echoed against the mountain walls. Link turned, noticing the familiar figure of the Hylian general riding at the head of the herd.

Zelda came forward and stepped alongside Link just as the general had reared his horse to a stop and slid from its saddle all in one fluid motion. He marched up to the princess and gave a short, courteous bow before speaking. Link could see exhaustion in his face and heard it in his words. "I am returned, Princess, as you ordered, with as many horses as were available."

"How many?" she asked.

"Thirty-three," he said. He looked distressed. "That will mean only eight escorts for you on the road to-"

"It will be enough," she silenced him. It was not a reprimand; it was reassurance that his worry would serve better elsewhere.

"As you wish," he returned, and he immediately began spouting orders to the few Hylians who had ridden with him on where and how to corral the horses.

Link looked to Zelda. "I've missed more than a few things, Princess."

His tone was light, but it cut through Zelda. She did not know how best to tell him. She had been trying to find the right words since the night Renado had stitched his wounds, and seeing him standing and smiling in the corner of a room filled with recovering war victims … she realized her time to think had come to an end. Her words were heavy when she spoke, laced with a melody much like a mother lying to protect a child. "The Twilight Princess and her people will return home soon," she said, scrutinizing Link's eyes' every sparkle and twitch at the news. She could not read his thoughts as she let her words sink in.

All at once the small grin that had danced across Link's face had tumbled into a thin line. "It seems we're all heading home" was his only response … before he realized: "Her _people_?"

"Yes. When you defeated Ganondorf, the curse on her people was lifted. Twenty-three of the Twili live because of you." Zelda hoped that the news would cheer Link's mood, but he only nodded in a show of his gratitude. His thoughts ran deep, impenetrable. Zelda continued, "She has asked for an escort. Myself and eight of my guards will accompany her, and … she asked if you would be well enough to come also."

Link's eyes fell inward in that moment, and memories came rushing back to him … of a quiet night at the edge of the desert wastes. It had been the first time Midna had truly opened up to him, when she had told him the truth of her nature. The fear written through her face had been unmistakable. The agony in her eye. The soft tremble in her fragile fingers against his cheek. _"You'll come into the twilight with me … won't you?"_ she had asked, almost pleading to never be left alone again.

"She's never had to ask me," said Link. He turned away with the intention of asking Rusl when the Ordonians might be ready for their voyage home … when he saw a flutter in the distance. A shadow played with his eyes, and on instinct, he flung his hand up to reach for his sword only to find it missing. In that moment the shape moved and he recognized it immediately. The tips of his raised fingers absentmindedly stroked his cheek as if grasping for a hand that had never truly left him.

Standing at the edge of the spirit spring was Midna, head bowed forward and cloak flapping in the breeze. Link thought that perhaps she prayed, or perhaps thanked the spirits for their help on her quest. He watched her silently for many long moments and wondered how long she had stood there, alone and unmoving.

In truth, Midna had been praying for Link. Every day for the last five days, she had come with her pleas to Eldin to return Link's health as the spirits had done so many times before. She did not understand the practice of medicine, and thus, shadow had begged light for one last favor.

She opened her eyes and could hear the soft hum of Elidn echoing from the water through her bare toes. It renewed her hope and she turned to head back into the house, back to Link's sleeping side, where she had always gone after sending her prayers.

Their eyes met then, and she stopped in her tracks. Seeing him there was like seeing him for the first time again. Not as a wolf. He had snarled and barked at her during their first meeting. However, when he had transformed into the likeness of the hero he had now become … she could remember everything about the way his blond hair fell around his cheeks under his hat and the way the water of the spirit spring reflected in his crystal eyes. She remembered how the sight of the light dweller had caught her off guard and how she had buried any feelings for Link. He had been a tool, the one person in all the light realm who could help her, and she had left her thoughts at that.

Now, however, when she looked at him…. She felt such shame for the way she had acted, the way she had let her hatred blind her. She wanted to apologize for everything, but she could not find the words and so remained at a distance.

_I found you _… was Link's sole thought when his eyes locked on hers. And it brought a memory back to him. Those had been the first words Midna had ever spoken to him, and it felt like years ago when he had first been transformed and locked away in Hyrule Castle, his only salvation found in a heartless little creature. Thinking back on his first days with Midna, it was strange to realize how much they had grown to depend on and care for each other. In the beginning he had wanted nothing more than to see Midna leave and never return.

He wanted to tell her, wanted to tell her everything, but he stumbled over the words. Looking into her eyes left him as mute as Ilia's gaze once had. Yet, it was something more. A lingering sadness filled Midna's eyes. He wanted to comfort her, to ask what plagued her, but then he realized.

There was no need for words. Words would only carry the thing they both now feared.

Soon their path together would divide.

A booming voice broke Link's musings. "We soon leave as well."

Link turned to find that the Goron patriarch now stood before Princess Zelda. "Thank you for your help, Patriarch Darbus. May the goddesses shine on you."

As Gor Coron stepped up alongside his towering patriarch, Zelda explained to Link how the Gorons had descended from their mountain when the battle had broken ground. Once they had reached the field, however, the battle had ended and he had collapsed. Apparently, it was thanks to the Gorons that so many had made it to Kakariko in time for Renado to heal them.

"It seems once again, this puny human has shown strength equal to a Goron," said Gor Coron with the hideous expression that passed for a smile.

"Strength indeed, human, but not like a Goron!" chuckled Darbus, and Link had to remind himself that the elders had chosen to leave their patriarch in the dark about how the curse upon him had lifted.

The elder looked to Princess Zelda. "If you should ever need the Gorons again, our mountains are open to you."

"Thank you," said the princess with a short bow.

Though his chest still rocked with pain, Link lowered his hand from his ribs before asking, "May I go with you?"

"To the mountains?" The thought of this wounded Hylian traversing their cliffs confused the elder.

Link nodded, and Gor Coron looked him over, seeing past his ruse. The Goron had a keen eye for strength and could see that Link's injuries still pained him, but the will of the small human rose against the pain. There was more to strength than the might of one's muscles. He could see that Link would ascend their mountain with or without them. For what purpose, he did not know and did not ask. "We leave soon. Meet us at the edge of the village."

As the Gorons turned away, Link stepped away from Zelda as she and the others watched in bewilderment as he ascended the stairs of Renado's dwelling. He did not lean against the railing for support, and he struggled on only a stair before regaining his balance. They each wanted to climb after him, to question his judgment of heading into the mountains in his condition, but none followed after him.

Midna remained at a distance, watching Link, understanding. She had spent much time within his shadow, and they had felt each other's strongest emotions. She understood why he wished to join the Gorons, and she would not interfere.

When Link entered the building and started for the stairs, Renado was there to head him off. The shaman reprimanded him softly for having left his bed. Link apologized but assured the man he was well. He had rested enough. Still, Renado pushed a cup into his hand and urged him to drink the strange red concoction within it. It had the reeking odor of medicine, but Link did not complain. Once the liquid hit his lips, its sweet taste washed away its peculiar aroma. He felt reenergized immediately and thanked the shaman. Reluctant to leave Link, Renado recovered the glass and turned toward his other patients.

Renado worried for the wounded Link and what he might do next, but he could not help the smile that lifted the corner of his lips. He could remember how willful Link had been the first time they had met. Even then Link had been untamable; nothing had held him back, and it was good to see that the challenges he had faced had done little to change his best-if not sometimes flawed-qualities.

The potion Link had drunk had calmed the aches raging through his body, and the numbed pain made it far easier to ascend the stairs. Once back in the upstairs room, he realized he had not been the only occupant-at least, at one time. The other beds covering the room were still unmade from where surely the sickest of the soldiers had rested after treatment. He wondered if they had indeed recovered or if the worst had befallen them.

Link looked about for his tunic and found it among a pile of clothes resting on a chair in the corner by the window. He stepped over to it and the sight of Auru and Barnes arguing over something dealing with the wagon's repair made him snort a laugh. Carefully, he lifted the collar of his tunic over his head and let the garment fall around his body. With some difficulty, he tightened the laces along its sides before equipping his belt-with the help of his elbow holding one side in place as he clasped it.

He stood there a moment, watching through the window as the others had resumed their work in his absence. Rusl worked on the broken axel as Barnes continued to rage. Zelda had gone to her general-perhaps to discuss their travel arrangements into the desert. The thought of Midna led Link's eye to the spring again, but the Twilight Princess no longer stood at its edge. Though he knew she had not gone far, her disappearance troubled him, and he turned away from the window.

===============

The road up the mountains had troubled Link little with the assistance of the Gorons. Though he had insisted he was well enough to travel by foot, Darbus had plucked Link up as gently as any Goron could and given up his shoulders as the young hero's seat for the journey. Link was surprised at how balanced the Goron's stride carried him. Very few steps sent Link jostling from one side to the other, and he was deeply grateful and honored that the patriarch had seen to his care.

Link sat nearly four meters tall astride the great Goron patriarch, and he watched as some Gorons chose to curl into rocky boulders and roll up the narrow mountain paths while others elected to keep pace with their elders on foot. Though they walked, a Goron's gait was swift even given their short, stout legs, and they made quick progress through the cliffs. They were mostly silent on the road, words exchanged only occasionally when Darbus gloated to Link about the wonder of their mountains.

After an hour they had reached the base of their central mountain home, and before long, they had climbed the mountain and come to the mouth of the cavern entrance to their mines. It was here that Darbus stooped to allow Link's departure. Link thanked the Gorons for their companionship and assistance. The Gorons retreated into the cavern with chest-thumping, voice-booming farewells.

Left to his own company, Link turned away from the cavern and stepped up to the edge of the cliff face. He stared out into the surrounding peaks, the sun gleaming across the surface of each summit. He could see every crevice, every slant in the mountain range. He closed his eyes, the breeze gently toying with the unkempt strands of hair hanging from every angle of his head.

A very long time ago, he had stood here, admiring the end of a treacherous day. On that evening he had seen many more arduous days waiting beyond the horizon before he would finally be able to take up rest. Throughout his journey he had looked back on that day, imagined himself standing alive and well atop this very mountain. From here he had once seen lands alien to him, but now, when he opened his eyes he found memories in every corner of the fields and mountains and rivers beyond.

Link struggled to sit at the edge, feet dangling and back resting against a boulder. He blew out a fatigued breath and sat in silence. There were so many thoughts swimming in his head that it was hard to focus. He could barely believe he was even sitting there. _"I'll come back … when it's all over…"_ he had promised himself, and he had held true to that.

_When it's over…_ thought Link. _It's … really_ over….

It was difficult to absorb. Everything in the last few hours had been hard to swallow. Everyone had had five days to digest what had happened and accept that the time of war had indeed ended, but for Link … it was like waking to a dream. It took him a long time to realize the fighting had truly come to an end, that Ganondorf no longer drew breath. He could remember now with perfect clarity the last moments of the demon and how he had stood, perfectly balanced, in death.

Link had been bombarded with information the moment he had woken, how they had ended up in Kakariko, the fate of the Hylian soldiers, the coming departure of the Ordonians, the wellbeing of the Twili … the coming exodus of Midna and her people.

As evening slowly came, Link's thoughts lingered more toward Midna and the Twilight. Deep reds hung in the sky, shadowing the mountain range in a tint of orange. The color reminded Link of Midna's flowing ginger hair and how her bangs now gathered in soft tresses around cheeks that mirrored a perfect, cloudless sky. It was still strange to see Midna in such a human body. All the memories he had made with her had been shared by that sly, round-faced little imp, but seeing her in her true form, in her real body, it proved that all their hopes had come to fruition. Without the death of Ganondorf, retaking her natural form would have been impossible. Her delicate face was all the proof he needed to reassure himself that the end had indeed come.

Link felt thumps vibrate through him and heard roars and cheers from inside the mountain behind him. He remembered the sound of lively Gorons and knew without a sliver of a doubt that the Gorons were celebrating the newfound peace over Hyrule in a round of sumo matches.

Overhearing their festivities made Link think back on all the others he had met throughout his journey. Prince Ralis of the Zoras had left before he had been able to personally speak to him about his late mother. It had been Renado who had told the young boy that his mother had perished. He wondered how Ralis had taken the news and how he was managing his mother's legacy. Link wanted to imagine that Queen Rutela, though at peace, still watched over him from time to time, easing his ills and calming his anxiety at inheriting the throne at so young an age.

Then there were the yetis of Snowpeak. Link still felt a pang of guilt at the thought of the girl he had nearly killed in his mission to collect the shards of the Mirror of Twilight, how hysterical Yeto had been when he had finally broken into the bedroom. Link had never seen Yeta other than during her illness from the dark magic, and he wondered if she was always as quiet as she had been in Link's presence or if the departure of the shard had livened her spirits to match that of her boisterous husband. Link had seen true devotion in them; all they needed to survive was each other.

He looked down toward the village. He could not distinguish one figure from the other at this distance, but he knew Princess Zelda, Rusl and Colin, and so many others were among the shapes moving about. In a day or so, each would begin their voyage, some to Ordon, others to the city, while he rode with the entourage heading East.

His eyes fluttered from one figure to the next, trying to decide if he had that one thing-like Yeto and Yeta-that he could not live without.

Every answer he considered frightened him, so he tried not to think about it.

Link turned away to regain his peace. He watched as shadows overtook the evening sky, finding them both beautiful and serene.


	53. Chapter 47 Part 1

**Chapter 47: The Saddest Tear PART 1**

Another two days had passed before Link received word that the Ordonians and the Twili were ready and making their final preparations for the journey home. They were traveling by the same road part of the way, so they had made the decision to depart together. The children had asked if Link would ride with them during the first half of their voyage, and their pleading eyes and smiles had been impossible to refuse.

Link was still recovering, sling suspending his immobile arm against his still wrapped chest. He had just finished dressing by the time a knock rapped against his door that morning. Link, sitting on the bed and leaning over to secure his boots, stood immediately when he realized it was Princess Zelda who entered. The chainmail under his tunic pulled at his chest, but he tolerated the weight. He had intended to simply pile it among Epona's bundles, but Renado had advised that the extra tightness it would provide might actually prove to further reinforce his ribs and speed his recovery.

Princess Zelda had also returned to her usual appearance. Her clothes had been noticeably washed, the stain of mud and blood scrubbed but still faint against its whites. She had reequipped her armor, jewels, and crown. Her hair had been brushed and braided, and once more she looked like a princess.

She looked at Link silently for a moment, taking in his freshly bathed appearance. Green tunic weathered and stained in more than one place but somehow still majestic in color. His hat rested tightly around his ears, hair spilling from its mouth to frame his face. The bandage on his forehead had been removed, and his bangs hid most of the healing wound and its remaining bruise. A week since the battle and his cuts and bruises were finally beginning to fade.

Link's attention, however, had been stolen by her hands, gathered before her skirt where they held a very familiar item.

The Master Sword.

The last time he had seen the legendary blade had been on Eldin field where he had thrust it deep into the bowels of Ganondorf's evil heart. He remembered how the tyrant's eyes had closed slowly as he remained standing in the face of Link's triumph; the king's final insult to the hero. With the reappearance of the sword, Link had to wonder what had happened to its fleshy sheath, but a part of him did not want to know. It was the part that wished to have the image of Ganondorf living as nothing more than a memory rather than something concrete existing within Hyrule.

Therefore, he did not ask, and Zelda did not offer.

Zelda extended her arms, presenting him with the Master Sword, the sword belonging to the legendary hero.

Link took a step toward her … then another, and the irony of it all struck him then. So long ago it was supposed to be him offering Princess Zelda the sword of Ordona as tribute, but now, it was the princess who returned his true sword with deepest respect.

"The blade of evil's bane has once again served its part in protecting Hyrule," Zelda was saying. "Just as you have done. You are part of its legend now."

Link accepted the sword, and felt the rush of heat, the rush of energy, he had misplaced. Somehow, the sword reenergized him, and it was strange to think that he had truly become one of the few who had mastered the sword of myth. The reality of it seemed impossible to grasp.

"Our preparations are complete," said Zelda. "We depart as soon as your friends are ready."

Link nodded. "I'll be down in a moment."

Princess Zelda bowed before turning out the door. Link admired that about her. The way she tended to her soldiers, the way she spoke to Shad, the manners she had used even when addressing the once unsympathetic Midna … she treated everyone with respect. She was truly the princess-and soon the queen-Hyrule deserved.

Zelda had already returned the Master Sword to Link's sheath, and he slipped it on and adjusted its weight against his back once again. It was strange how complete it made him feel. He carried the weight of the world against him, and yet, he felt light as a snowflake.

Link returned to the bedside table and took a last draught of the medicine Renado had left for him. He then lifted his bow and quiver-recovered from the battlefield-onto one shoulder and grabbed up the remainder of his gear before heading downstairs, where he saw Auru and Ashei helping up the last of the wounded Hylians. Renado stood at the back, wiping sweat from his brow as he cleared bowls and towels from the back counter, and Link had to wonder how much sleep the shaman had gotten over the past week.

By the time Auru and Ashei reached the door, the latter called back for Shad, who scuttled to gather his many books into his arms before stumbling after them. With the house quiet save for Renado, Link took the opportunity to speak with the shaman. He stepped up quietly to the counter as Renado pitched towels into a bucket.

"I never thanked you," said Link, and the shaman suddenly looked up from his work, took in Link's appearance. The youth was battered and tired but alive with such spirit that it stole all thought from him for a long moment.

Renado circled around the counter and sat wearily in one of the seats. He looked to Link with happiness covering every feature but his eyes. "It is I who should thank you, Link." Renado looked away, swept in a web of memories. "You did not see this village before the monsters attacked," he said, and when he spoke, Link realized that he had never put much thought into how empty Kakariko was. So many homes and only three villagers.

"It was always a small community, but there were nearly a hundred people living here … and there were many children." His last words struck Link hard, knowing the dark weight they carried. "When the monsters came, I gathered who I could into the sanctuary. I realized too late that they were taking the children and killing everyone else." Renado continued with his story, as if he were recounting some deadly sin he had committed. He told Link how he had seen the children-Kakarikan children as well as the Ordonians-and had hid Luda away, solely Luda, in the sanctuary's cellar while he tried to save them.

"I was only able to save your friends, though, and by the time I returned to the sanctuary…." The vacant look in Renado's eyes clarified the hard tones Link found in the shaman's voice, the resounding pang of guilt he had detected. He had blamed himself for the deaths of everyone in the village and had carried that burden silently all this time. "My daughter had many friends in the village, and though she hides it well, she hasn't been the same."

A small tear trickled from Renado's eye, the first Link had ever seen this man shed. "But the Ordonian children returned what had been taken from her. Friendship. She will miss them, I think. Colin most of all."

Link grinned, remembering all the resilient smiles the children had worn during their time in Kakariko. Luda had seen the worst the world had to offer, but she had found friends to stave off the darkness.

Only in shadow could a torch burn brightest.

Renado finally looked to Link again, and he could see regret etched into his soul. "The days I saw you, your selflessness, I was reminded how very selfish I had been. Because of my actions, Luda was the only one to survive the massacre."

Link was not quite sure how to respond. He had always seen Renado as a deeply altruistic man, always sacrificing his time to help and guide. To think that all this time, he had been looking to Link for the guidance the youth had always found in _him_. Link could see that Renado thought himself beneath forgiveness for the crimes of which he accused himself, but his story reminded Link of a boy he had known not long ago.

Himself.

In the beginning, he had acted in the same way Renado had: in the service of those closest to him. Over time, however, he had amended his goals and redeemed himself for thinking so selfishly. Renado was no different. Link knew that he could never say anything to heal the hurt or falsify his claim to guilt, but he could ease his weary heart and be the person Renado needed him to be. Link was realizing more and more that his life had become less about slaying monsters and more about mentoring by example.

"I wouldn't be alive if it weren't for you," said Link. "Countless soldiers and refugees would have died without your help. Only a selfless man would have given so many so much of himself."

Renado's lips thinned and he examined the young face standing alongside him. For so long it had been Renado who had reprimanded and guided Link-perhaps in another selfish attempt to atone for his sins _through_ Link. Now, that same rebellious youth stood before him with wisdom beyond imagining. He thanked Link for his kindness, and he truly did feel the weight beginning to lift. He would act per Link's example for the rest of his life to amend the wrongs he had committed.

They stepped out into the light of a new day together, but that is where they parted ways. Link watched as Renado made his way for the sanctuary, and as the shaman disappeared inside, Link found Epona nestled down by the spring. He whistled, the sound piercing through the air like a rooster crowing the rise of dawn. Those who heard his whistle knew that soon their hero would rise for one last journey.

He met Epona at the storefront of the rundown market, near the rear of the caravan soon leaving for Castle Town. As Link packed his belongings into bundles he situated on Epona's back, going to and from the house to reclaim all the items he had left on his many visits, he watched the others as they made their final preparations. The general spoke to Princess Zelda at the back of the caravan. Link did not mean to eavesdrop, but he could piece together from the words drifting over that the princess had put him in charge of seeing the last of their people home … and he was uncomfortable with his princess travelling so far without him.

Near the spring, he spotted the convoy of Twili mounting the horses brought by the general two days ago. Midna walked among them, surely trying to erase their doubts in the beasts they were required to ride. After coaxing the last of her people, she turned to the head of their party and patted the mane of the black horse loaned to her. It was something Link had done several times with Epona to calm her, and he wanted to think perhaps Midna was repeating the gesture from her memory of those times.

Link had been unaware of the smile sprouting through his lips until Ilia's voice erased it. "Talo!" she called, and Link was ready to swing into action … until he realized the boy was running away from their cart only to scurry toward the sanctuary where Renado had emerged. Link could not hear what the boy said, but the shaman smiled.

Finished with his work, Link leaned against Epona and watched as Rusl tethered a black horse to the wagon. It shuffled the dirt around with its white calves as Ilia lifted Malo into the carriage and waved for Talo to come along. Colin and Luda had already said their goodbyes, it seemed, and Beth ran up to throw her arms around the little black-haired girl. He could hear their giggles as they swore to keep in touch. Renado folded an arm before his chest and bowed in farewell. Talo mimicked his gesture and then scampered away toward the carriage before Ilia yelled at him again. Laughable as always, however, was Barnes, who strode up to the group. Link could see him begin to say something, only to stop and lower his mask to hide his embarrassment.

When Luda and Beth parted from their embrace and Zelda stepped over to mount her brown and white steed, Link knew.

It was time.

===============

There was no rush to arrive in the forest or desert, so the convoy of Hylians, Ordonians, and Twili rode at a steady pace. The Hylians rode at the front of the column with two taking up the rear behind Link. The Ordonian's carriage strolled along in front of the weary hero, and ahead of them were the many Twili, who had quickly adjusted to the strides of their mounts. Nearly out of eyesight, were Midna and Zelda, who rode alongside one another at the forefront of the twilight denizens.

It was an unusual pace for Link, who had only ridden the paths of Hyrule in haste, barely giving any thought to the majestic scenery it offered. Now, as Epona carried him at a soft trot, he wondered what thoughts spun through her head. Perhaps gratitude at the easy pace. He hummed a chuckle at the thought, but truly he had come to realize just how much he had demanded of his faithful friend over the course of their journey. She had never refused him, and he found comfort in that. He patted her mane and ran his fingers through her hair as his mind carried on how a conversation with Epona might actually unfold. He snorted a laugh at how ridiculous it would be to hear Epona speak to him. Conversation like that was impossible, but then again, he did not need words to understand his oldest friend.

Link heard Talo yell something and broke away from his musings to see him pointing toward the wildlife. He realized the boy had likely only seen goats and squirrels and that sort and nothing like the small but long-legged creatures that skittered around the open fields. There were also the aggressive kargaroks that perched high in the trees, and whenever they swooped in too low toward the convoy, one of the two archers in the Hylian column would shoot it down and collect it-likely to prepare it for supper later that evening.

A smile hung on Link's lips when he turned his attention to Colin and Ilia within the wagon. Both sat comfortably inside, but while Colin was grinning ear to ear and staring out the window, Ilia's eyes were focused on her toes. Link drew Epona up to move closer to ask if she was all right, but before they closed the distance, he overheard the excited voices of Talo and Malo and saw the equally pompous expression over Beth's face.

They were talking about Midna.

Link decided it was best not to advance … but he did not back down just yet either, curious. He could only make out snippets of their conversation over the creaking wheels of the carriage and the clomping steps of thirty-six horses.

"…so she didn't look like that the whole time?" Talo was asking.

"…don't think so … some weird creature … dark … kinda …" he heard Malo reply.

"How did Link…? I mean, we never knew…" his brother was asking.

"…pretty, though…"

"I guess…."

Link cringed at their words and what Ilia must have been thinking. He was a little embarrassed, too. The children had finally learned that Link had not traveled alone as they had thought. During Link's recovery one of the adults must have told the story of Midna breaking the barrier around Hyrule Castle; otherwise, they would not have known of her impish body. Link felt a slight twinge of guilt at having hid Midna from his friends, but had Midna not wanted it that way? All the times she had asked to remain hidden in his shadow … it all made sense now. She had been so ashamed of her appearance and the reactions that might have ensued … like the shock and fear that had filled her castle audience.

And Ilia had not taken the news of his travel partner well in the least.

There were … unresolved things between Ilia and him, things that neither of them knew how to approach. Everything had been far simpler when Ordon had been their one and only world, when everything was certain. Link had to wonder how life would have unfolded had life just continued as normal … but his normal life had never truly felt _normal_. He could not be quite sure which world he belonged to now. A life in the woods, ignorant to all that transpired beyond the forests, or a life of travel, a life out from under the canopy of the trees. Did he belong with Ilia in Ordon, spending his days tending the ranch and riding out into the forest with Rusl and Colin, teaching the children how to fish and fend for themselves in the wild, telling his stories of adventure?

Perhaps he belonged in the city helping to rebuild Hyrule with the Group or even among the princess's knights. What if the princess asked to induct him into her service after their voyage? He tried to imagine himself in a knight's armor, a silver sheen across his torso and head, red and blue sashes and banners binding him. He remembered how uncomfortable and unfamiliar the armor Rusl had given him had made him feel and wondered if the armor of a proper knight felt just as tight and constricting.

Then a startling thought occurred. What if Midna had asked if he could join their entourage because she wanted to request that he return to the Twilight with her? He had once promised her that he would follow her anywhere. Would she ask that of him? To leave his world and follow her into the Twilight once more? With the Mirror rebuilt and forever bridging their two worlds, though, they would be able to see each other from time to time even if he did not go with her.

If he chose a life full of travel, reaching out beyond even the borders of Hyrule, it warmed his heart to know that he could return and call upon the magic of the Mirror of Twilight to see Midna, to have the ability to know without a doubt that she and her people were safe and well.

It was true that he had a lot to consider, a decision to make as to where his road would lead-or even end-after they arrived at the Arbiter's Grounds … but his thoughts would have to be put on hold. The sky had grown darker since he had fallen into his deliberations. Ahead, a Hylian broke formation to ride back along the column and spread the word that they would soon be breaking to camp for the night.

As they continued forward, Link looked up and saw the moon beginning to take dominance over the sky, the bright crescent cradling its shadow counterpart.

===============

Laughter and smoke rose from the encampment. Several tents had been erected, one from the Ordonian wagon and the others taken from a cart the Hylians had fueled with provisions for their long road. At the center of their camp rose the fire which housed the burning kargaroks. As Rusl tended the soldiers' game, another Hylian passed out bits of bread and dried vegetables. The Ordonians and Hylians sat closest to the fire, while the Twili remained at a distance. Midna had apologized for the appearance of disrespect her people had shown to their ways and attempt to include them by the fire, explaining that most Twili did not enjoy the heat of an orange flame.

The Twili kept to themselves mostly and also refused the food offered to them, making their camp under the stars and next to the small lake close by. It was not necessarily a lake as it was perhaps a pond or something in between, but its shallow waters stretched far and deep enough that a wooden bridge had been constructed. They had crossed this bridge before making camp in the southern fields of Hyrule, which meant that Link would be parting ways with the Ordonians tomorrow; they would continue on the road south while Link split off with the royal entourage to the east.

Link and Zelda had been among the first to nestle down next to the fire, Rusl and the soldiers had insisted on that. Zelda sat on a tree stump with her back to the tents as she sipped from a waterskin. Link had situated himself with Epona opposite the princess. He gratefully leaned against her strong body for support and, instead of eating his vegetables, he offered them up to her.

Once everyone had settled in, the Hylians took up seats sporadically around the fire, most sitting in close proximity to their princess but allowing the children from Ordon room to sit and lay closest to the warming fire. Colin, Ilia, and Beth sat off Link's right and the young brothers were lying to his left, their excited conversation with two of the soldiers interrupted only when Rusl prodded them with a plate of carved meat. Their food was nearly devoured by the time Rusl had cut the rest of the birds into enough helpings to feed the surrounding group.

Colin's mouth watered at the smell of the freshly roasted meat and bit into the wing immediately. Beth curled her nose at first, but after following Colin's example and biting into it, she found that she quite liked kargarok meat. Ilia, though she accepted her helping with a kind thank you, merely nibbled at it as she had with the bread and vegetables. Link and Zelda were next to receive a serving, the princess having waved Rusl off moments ago in order for the children to be fed first. Zelda removed her gloves before taking the meat into her delicate fingers.

Link leaned forward to accept his plate and set it down on the ground, but before he could dig into its succulent flavors, pain suddenly stabbed his side. He sucked in a loud breath as his hand darted to gingerly cover his hidden wound. Several eyes had turned his way, each with the same unvoiced question floating in their gaze. As the pain ebbed, Link waved off their concern with a nod and returned to his meal … which had vanished.

A strange sucking and cracking sound broke into the night air, and Link turned to find his perfectly cooked bird leg dangling from Epona's mouth. Malo and Talo giggled at the sight, and their laugh infected the entire group, rolling around the campfire until even the princess and dejected Ilia were in tears from mirth.

By the time Link had wrestled the leg free of Epona's teeth and offered her another vegetable, Midna strolled up to their circle behind Zelda. She grinned, having seen the commotion on her way over. Link realized he was laughing, too, which hurt. Meat in hand, he clutched at his side and tried to calm his laughter, which only made the children giggle all the more. When Link looked across the campfire and saw Midna, however, all traces of his merriment immediately faded. It was strange how the sight of her now made him anxious. He could not help staring at her, though, as if drinking in everything about her would ensure she would stay with him forever.

Even though she had previously told Rusl that her people would not eat the kargarok meat, he still offered some to her in respect. Surprisingly, she accepted and sat next to Princess Zelda. Midna could sense all the eyes on her as she took her place among them and their laughter subsided. Perhaps they had all thought she would keep to herself as she had mostly done in Kakariko. She tried to ignore the stares as she picked away a string of meat and put it in her mouth.

Link watched her eat, reminded of the time she had refused the moldorm meat in the desert. He remembered imagining the way in which she might eat. Her expression was blank as she chewed, so whether she did or did not like the taste, he could not tell, leaving him to wonder once more what Twili even ate.

The others had returned to their meals and previous conversations after a few moments, and after exchanging a soft word with Zelda, the Twilight Princess unconsciously turned her gaze upon Link. Their eyes locked for that small moment and Midna's small, knowing smile made an appearance, a smile that told Link everything he wanted-and perhaps did not wish to know. He could read reassurance in her eyes and lips, that she was happy and thankful to share this moment with him among friends instead of hiding in the shadows. But he could also see a kind of lingering sadness. It was faint and well hidden, but through their time together Link had grown accustomed to Midna's every gesture. He did not know her exact thoughts, but the hint of distress in her gaze unsettled him.

He looked away and discovered his appetite had lost itself. He set the meat down and leaned back against Epona, offering her another vegetable.

"Link, will you tell us a story about your adventure?" piped an excited Talo.

The request startled Link. His lips parted to answer, but he could not think of what to say. He looked around and saw that all the children and a few of the Hylians passed him curious looks.

"Tell us about when you helped the Gorons," prodded Talo.

"What about the night you brought Ilia and that Zora kid to Kakariko?" suggested Malo. "That Telma lady said you were really amazing."

Link's journey across Hyrule had been like something out of one of Rusl's stories he had heard growing up in Ordon, and the way they begged and pleaded reminded him of the way he used to ask Rusl for bedtime stories.

Then Beth joined in. "Tell us how you saved Colin from the monsters!"

Link's heart caught in his throat.

"No, I know, what about the Master Sword? Will you tell us how you found it?" countered Talo.

That night still existed as a blurry mess of images in Link's memory. He had been driven mad by the magic of Zant, on the verge of losing his sanity. The only thing he could remember from that night was the lingering voice of Midna guiding him and the blinding, burning light that had saved his soul.

His eyes landed on Midna again as she slowly chewed another bite. She was not looking at him, perhaps lost in her own memories of the same night.

These were things Link could not bring himself to talk about. To the children, the thought of his journey was thrilling, but the memories were plagued with pain … both physical and emotional.

Rusl came to his rescue. "I think it's time for bed."

The children, save for Colin, met this with a barrage of complaints, which Rusl could not quiet. A voice as gentle as the breeze swam through the encampment then, rinsing away the unruly voices of the children. They looked around in search of the singing hum, which rose louder while remaining soft. Link, however, did not need to question the source, having heard it before. He looked toward Princess Zelda as she brought life to the same melody she had sung for the wounded knight in Kakariko. Now, he could hear the words, but they were alien to him and sounded very ancient.

Even with unintelligible words, the melody soothed the children as they looked to her and listened, enthralled. After a few verses, their eyes began to droop, and in another few moments, they were snoring.

Link heard a familiar giggle then and looked over at Midna. He had not heard her laugh for a long while and to hear it breathe the same melody as it had before her transformation filled him with joy. She met his gaze and he could see that the sadness in her eyes had fled for the moment.

In this moment, Midna was completely at ease with the world, truly as happy as Link had ever seen her, and it set his heart at ease with a smile.

===============


	54. Chapter 47 Part 2

**Chapter 47: The Saddest Tear PART 2**

The Hylians and Twili had already resumed their voyage by the time the last of the children woke the next morning. While Rusl busied himself with packing away their tent, he watched as the children bade farewell to Link, who had remained behind in order to see off his friends. He would catch up with the entourage afterward, he had promised.

Ilia had chosen to help Rusl, and after she snuffed out the remainder of the fire, she sat back and watched as the children came running from Link, smiles plastered on their faces in the excitement of returning home. Beth nestled down next to Ilia as the boys ran up to Rusl to ask if they could help with anything. Silently, Ilia watched as Colin spoke with Link at the mouth of the bridge in the distance.

Link guided Epona up and along the bridge, for the royal party had backtracked across it on their road to the desert. He could still see their horde in the distance as they made their way steadily through the fields toward the mountains of the northeast. Colin kept pace alongside him and was telling Link about the wooden shield he now carried on his back and how his dad had helped him carve it back in Kakariko. It was a bit large on Colin, but Link thought perhaps he intended to keep it into his adolescent years, and by that time it would be a perfect fit.

"And what's this?" asked Link, pointing to the stick that protruded from under the shield.

"Oh." Suddenly, Colin was that shy boy again. He unsheathed the brittle sword with an unpracticed right hand, and Link immediately recognized it. "It's the sword you gave Talo and Malo, but they gave it to me." He looked up at Link, a strange sparkle in his eye. "They said I'd be braver with it. Is that true?"

Link stopped at those words and placed a hand on Colin's shoulder as if to erase such thoughts. Here was the small boy that so long ago loathed the idea of holding a sword. Link was not sure whether to be proud or afraid, so he offered the only advice he knew for certain. "Courage doesn't come at the edge of a sword, Colin. It comes when that's the only thing out of reach."

Confusion filled Colin. "Really?"

He tried to think of an example, and could only think of one situation. "Remember when you saved Beth?" asked Link, and Colin nodded. "The way I heard it, you saved her without a weapon. You don't need a sword to do the right thing." Link stressed these last words and hoped that Colin was as sensible as he had always thought.

Colin understood him completely, understood that Link did not discourage him from using a sword. Link had turned to his sword on countless occasions to defend the innocent, but used without reason a sword would no longer be a tool; instead, it would become the weapon. Colin grinned wildly at Link and promised, "Until you get back, my dad and I'll keep them safe."

Link looked back at the others, watched as Jaggle and Pergie's boys helped Rusl with the wagon. Beth was staring out toward Castle Town, most likely daydreaming about city life. Ilia, however, had lost herself to another world of thought entirely as she moved charred stones around with a stick left over from the firewood. Even at this distance, Link could see her fighting back a tear.

He mounted Epona then, and without another word he clicked his heels and sped off across the bridge. He tossed a glance back to find Colin watching him a moment longer before turning back to the group. Link could not help remembering a time when all Colin wanted was to ride freely in the wind without a care in the world, but the world had changed him just as it had changed Link, and he could only pray this was the way Colin was supposed to be.

===============

When Colin turned away, he felt a sense of pride. For as long as he could remember, it had been his dad and Link protecting him and the other kids, but ever since Karkariko, he had felt a little braver with each passing day. Ilia lost and without memory had been the final piece that had shattered his life, the last shard of his childhood world to crumble in on itself. When she had been rescued only to be unable to comfort him in the way she had always done, it had planted the final seed in Colin.

He knew that it was his duty to protect them. And so he had … while Link and his father were away fighting crueler demons.

To see everyone safe and at peace again, smiling and laughing around the campfire the previous night, Colin knew that everything was finally going to be all right. He did not have to worry anymore. His dad had brought Link to them broken and barely breathing the morning after his battle with Ganondorf, and to hear the soldiers tell the story, it was a wonder Link had survived at all.

But Colin had never lost faith. Hero or not, Link would always be there to protect the innocent. He remembered the way Link had flown from his house the day Talo had ventured into the woods. The look of concern mixed with determination and skill. Colin looked back on himself and could see only a shy, scared child from what he had become and vowed to never revert to being such a helpless person, always looking to someone else for guidance and safety. Now, as Rusl's son, he had a duty to protect the villagers of Ordon, and he would do so loyally.

Colin joined the others at the wagon when his father called to him, and instead of riding in the carriage, he let the others partake in its comfort. Colin wanted to walk the lands Link had traveled, to take the steps he had taken, to live in his fearless shoes, and it was strange how the earth seemed to quake through his sandals as it filled him to the brim with life … as if the land vibrated with the blood of the hero who had saved it.

Jaggle's eldest son also chose to walk behind the wagon as they made their way south toward Ordon, but it was not for the same reasons. Talo was fascinated by the vastness of Hyrule Field and reveled in it while he could. In just a few short days, they would be back in Ordon, and he would have parents to answer to once more. He was enjoying his freedom, running this way, chasing a critter that way, and climbing a tree-only to get stuck and need Rusl's help to shuffle back down. Malo even joined his brother for a little while until they came upon the boundary of Faron Woods.

Dusk began to break along the horizon by the time they reached the dense tree line, and Rusl called back to the boys. As he set a fire, the boys unpacked provisions from a crate, and as night settled in, they nestled in by the fire for a meal before bed. They slept under the stars that night, used to the calming atmosphere of the wild, open air of the forest.

As Rusl kept watch, Ilia was the last to find comfort in the starry sky. She often looked toward the western skyline, telling herself that at any moment, Link would be riding back to meet her. At long last, she restlessly fell into dreams praying for her hero's safe return.

===============

The silence of night swept across the Gerudo Desert as the royal entourage passed through its shifting sands. Moonlight guided their path toward the towering peaks of the Arbiter's Grounds ahead, and while Link kept reverting his gaze back to these beacons to ensure he did not stray from the path, he still tried not to think about where it was he guided the convoy of Twili.

To reach the end of his path, to arrive under their majesty, would mean saying farewell to Midna, and whether it was a month or a year that they would be apart, he grew increasingly wary at the thought of being separated from her. No matter how long the time apart, Link was not sure how to fill the loneliness that would surely come.

By the Hylian lieutenant's suggestion, they had decided to traverse the desert only under the cover of night to ease the journey for the horses, and by daybreak they would erect the tents and take rest from the heat. It would take nigh on three to four days to reach the prison at that rate, leaving more time for Link's distress to well inside him.

He tried to set his mind at ease as they rode, four of the Hylians riding close with the princesses just behind. The Twili followed their sovereign, and behind them rode the remaining Hylian knights.

Link tried to imagine the homecoming of the Ordonians, but found only faces that divided him between his loyalties. He erased their faces with musings of how Shad fared under Ashei's instruction as they returned to the city, but Link found that he also missed the town with its cobblestone paths and hundreds of souls skittering back and forth.

No thought could quiet his worries, and he had nearly given up hope until he heard a strange hum emanating behind him. At first it filled him with dread, but when its pitch slowly alternated across low and higher pitches, he felt the weight in his heart beginning to lift. Turning his gaze around, he found the many glowing eyes of the Twili looking to the path ahead. It was then he discovered the single Twili who sang, its voice vibrating like some horned instrument, its sound carrying far and strong in the night.

In a matter of moments, other Twili voices joined the first, and their voices either echoed his melody or harmonized with it in very low octaves. Link found peace in their song, as the melody of the music took on words he could not understand. He could hear Zelda questioning the Twilight Princess, and he listened as Midna explained that her people sang a ballad long passed down through generations. It was a tale that spoke of a sole Twili loathing his existence, abhorring everything about the realm of shadows. This Twili had wished to see the light of day, a single sunrise and the shine of stars. He had ventured far to find a way into the Light Realm until one day he happened upon a woman whose red and violet eyes reflected the constant sunset. In that moment, the Twili had truly seen the beauty in the sky, that there was peace in his realm. The Twili had given up his journey to remain at her side until the end of his days … only it was she who passed first, her soul becoming nothing but a flutter of shadow. From that day on, he had never wished to feel the warmth of light; he would remain with her soul in the darkness forever until he, too, withered into ash.

Understanding the meaning behind the melody humming through him, Link's chest swelled. He did not know if Zelda or her knights could empathize with the Twili as he did. For so long he, too, had loathed the Twilight and had only begun to find peace in its embrace when looking into the ruby eye of Midna.

===============

As Colin lounged inside the wagon, he looked through the window of the canvas and watched as the trees passed by. They had been on the road since dawn and the hours had ticked by painfully slow. Talo and Malo still snoozed, sprawled on the floor of the wagon as the gentle rocking motion lulled their dreams along. He could hear Beth and Ilia chattering as they sat on the back of the carriage, and he was happy to finally see some excitement return to Ilia. Even after her amnesia had lifted, she had seemed distraught, and he had thought perhaps it had just been her concern for Link. Yet, the pain in her eyes had not waned even after Link had recovered from his bout against the evil king.

Colin decided Ilia was simply homesick and that her smiles would return once she reunited with her father and saw the rest of Ordon finally at peace.

They passed through a dense grove of trees, and then Colin heard the trickle of water before he spotted the forest spring that told him they were nearly home. In a matter of moments, the ropes of the bridge connecting Ordona to the rest of the world floated by his window, and he ducked his head outside for a better look, taking in the grandness of the giant canyon stretching below and the enormous trees that snaked up from its depths.

He listened to the gentle creaks of the wheels as they rolled across the long bridge and could not help an ecstatic laugh when he was once again surrounded by familiar wood on the other side. His insides nearly burst during the long hour it took for them to pass by the spirit spring and then Link's empty house. At the sight of it, he could sense Ilia's mood shift again, and to combat the obvious loneliness she felt in Link's absence, Colin shook Talo and Malo awake. "We're almost there! We're almost home!"

The brothers woke with a stir, Malo snorting to life and wiping the sleep from his eyes as Talo leapt up and joined Colin at the window. Together the three of them watched with wide, toothy smiles as Link's house disappeared while they moved down the path into the village.

When the trees opened up, Talo and Malo were already screaming and leaping between Beth and Ilia. Malo landed on his rear and Talo rolled and hopped to his feet. Talo raced past the carriage, flailing his arms and screaming for his mother as his younger brother leisurely followed after him.

Young Talo's screams echoed through the village, and everyone looked up from their midday chores to find the source of the commotion. Jaggle and Haunch were stooped over the pumpkin patch, cutting away the small weeds twining about their stems, and just as they spotted the carriage pulling into the village, they heard a splash as Pergie threw down her laundry and raced, shrieking, across the water to reach her sons. She caught Talo in a tight embrace just as Jaggle and Haunch threw down their tools and stepped over to the group in a daze.

Rusl pulled the horse to a stop in front of Sera and Haunch's home at the edge of town and leapt down to meet his son as he scrambled out of the back of the carriage behind Ilia and Beth, the latter of which sprinted into her mother's plump arms as soon as she had opened the door of her house to inquire about the ruckus. Shock quaked through the woman's bones, filling her both with puzzlement and happiness in the same moment. All the tension that had ever been in her marriage was completely erased when the girls broke into tears and grabbed the bewildered Haunch into their arms, their cat purring and scratching at their feet.

Colin and Rusl watched the hollow expression on Ilia's face turn into one of sudden glee when she saw her father burst forth from their house up the path. If she was still worried about Link, every doubt she had ever felt seemed erased in that one moment. Her breath caught and before she realized it, the ground blew past her as she sprinted through the village and up the path. "Father!" she screamed, and happiness filled her so completely that her eyes bled a waterfall of tears.

Smiling, Rusl and his son stepped along at a steady pace in her wake, and as they watched Ilia and Bo race toward one another, they made their way around the bend beyond the short bridge toward their house atop the hill. Rusl heard Colin laugh and watched as Ilia bounded into her father's stubby arms. Behind them, Fado appeared in the distance, puzzled as ever but instantly hooting at the sight of his childhood friend returned.

When Rusl arrived on the porch of his house, he stopped abruptly as Colin yanked the door open and flew inside calling for his mother. The sight of the house calmed Rusl, the aged wood, its thatched roof, the smell of the emerald forest surrounding them. It all brought a smile to the blacksmith's face. He longed to see his wife, longed to see Uli's swelled belly and reassure himself that their unborn child was still tucked safely inside its mother's womb.

But when Uli came to the door, a quiet, wide-eyed expression covering her countenance, another face greeted Rusl, and his heart skipped a beat.

As Uli overcame the shock of seeing her husband once more, Rusl overpowered the shock at seeing the face of a beautiful baby girl wrapped up cozily in a light red blanket. A small grin pulled at Rusl's lips, and a tear stroked his cheek at seeing his family together once more. Uli offered their newborn to her husband, and when he took the babe into his arms he remembered the day when Colin had been born and the day he had happened upon the tiny Link.

Rusl had never been more proud, never happier, than in the moment he held his child and wife and heard the giggle of his son.

It was all thanks to Link, a loving little Hylian who had crawled, frozen and alone, into his heart so many years ago.

===============

Across the vast seas of rolling sand, the blazing sun grew dim, warped by the shifting wastes of the desert and the soft reds of the clouds hanging in the distance. Link stood apart from the convoy to stand at the crest of a mesa, looking out into the quiet and lonely orange land surrounding them. He squinted against the fiery horizon and found peace in the calm blue sky still reigning above its softening light. Soon, night would fall and they would resume their course, which they did not have long left to travel.

The prison of the Gerudo ancestors rested upon the sand in the distance; he could tell from the towering pikes of the sages that stretched toward the sky. Tall dunes and great cliffs and canyons hid the walls of the Grounds from view, but they were close, close enough that Link knew they would arrive in another night's ride.

Link watched the wind blow particles of sand from the summit of the dunes, and they glinted in the evening light like fireflies. All the times he had traversed these wastes, he had never stopped to appreciate the rare beauty that their orange glow produced. He no longer saw a desert wasteland. Long ago, this had been the place where evil's seed had flourished and the lands had remained barren for centuries. Even now it was home to death, home to the lingering souls who had long perished from its harsh environment and within its prison, but to produce death was not its nature. It was a place that longed for life, and its mirages were merely the desert dreaming for companionship.

Soft footsteps pushed through the sand behind him, and when he turned he saw the veiled cloak of Midna flapping around her frame. She stepped up alongside him, her bare feet sinking a little in the sand. Link said nothing as she stood next to him, afraid of the words they might have to exchange. He turned from her, and together they watched the setting sun. They had come to the precipice of the end, all the worries of their adventure far behind. Now, on their final trek together, neither knew what to say.

Midna looked toward the colossal towers in the distance as she mused over the journey she had taken with Link. Had she never met him, their worlds would have fallen into chaos, for she could have never found her courage without his guidance. On this last day with him, she had come to him to thank him. She had put it off for so long, not knowing what to say, and now … she did not know how to say what she knew in her heart was true. That she would not be the woman she was now without him at her side.

She said nothing and instead decided to bathe in his presence under the last setting sun she would see, something of which every Twili had dreamt. She wanted to spend more time in Hyrule, exploring its wonders at Link's side, but her people needed her if she was to grant a sense of peace and order across her realm once more.

The Twilight Princess had made up her mind. She would return home.

===============

That night the convoy reached the entrance of the Arbiter's Grounds, and the Hylian knights gazed up into its towering heights in awe. All in Hyrule could see the massive columns from a distance, the crests at their summits crowning the sky like beacons. Princess Zelda's jaw parted as she craned her neck, drinking in the splendor of the broken place. It stood, ancient and eerie, as the wind blew against them, carrying the long forgotten cries of the departed prisoners within. As the entourage halted, though, and she dismounted her horse, she found some magic in its ruined walls. She saw the crest of her family resting above the open gateway and knew the spirit of her father would watch and protect her against any horrors within.

Princess Zelda joined Midna at the center of the group, watching as Link approached the doorway and darkness swallowed their hero. The Hylians looked to each other and nodded, reassuring each other that they could follow in the wake of the green warrior's steps. Tentatively they ascended the stairs, and they were both relieved and rattled when a sudden light flickered to life. Link had returned to the mouth of the prison, torch in hand, staring almost blankly into their wide eyes.

"This way," their hero beckoned, and when Link turned and began to fade into its depths, their fear was all but erased. If this young, broken man could dive into the deepest reaches of the haunted prison, so could eight of Hyrule's finest knights. They waved back to the princesses, and entered the prison with vigilant eyes.

With Link as their escort, the Hylians, princesses, and Twili made good time through the depths of the ancient tomb. Two of the soldiers had fallen back with torches at the rear of the party, while the rest kept pace with Princess Zelda and Link. They followed their hero's example and refused to shudder at the appearance of the long shadows crawling against the stones, and they restrained their stomachs from choking at the smell and sight of the scattered bones they passed.

As Link guided them through the dark corridors, he could feel the weight of every step, for every step closer to the Mirror Chamber was another step farther from Midna. He clung to the knowledge that their parting would not be goodbye forever. As long as the Mirror of Twilight hung at its dais, there was hope that he would see her again.

Before long, Link had reached the stairway into the coliseum above, and after pausing to collect and prepare himself, he ascended. He felt the weight of gravity intensify with every step he took and fought to keep his attention on the task instead of dwelling on the future soon to come.

Daylight poured into the shaft of the stairwell, guiding Link up into its orange-tinted radiance and out along the periphery of the coliseum. To his left he could see the sands below through every archway, and to his right a great wall encased the chamber within. Link's breath heaved in his chest, and he thought perhaps it was the response of his wounds to his continued exertion, but there was no pain other than his uncertainty of what was to come once he passed the last stones concealing the Mirror Chamber.

When he reached the end of the path and turned into the chamber, he found the breaking dawn beaming through the eastern archways to sparkle against the crystalline surface of the Mirror. A natural chime seemed to hum constantly from its glistening designs, reverberating ever so faintly and bringing life to every stone and grain of sand within the chamber's hollowed walls. Link sheathed his torch in a sconce and took a few steps toward its radiance before it stole his breath away.

Princess Zelda entered with her entourage of knights, and they cast their glances high and low, marveling at how such a grand structure could have ever been built and lasted so long in the tides of time. Though she had never heard Link's tale of his audience with the sages, Zelda could feel the lasting presence of their spirits residing in the stone columns, collapsing in and radiating through the depths of the chamber. Their spirits filled her with understanding and she gasped at the wave of calm heat that rinsed through her every pore.

As the Hylians took formation in two columns of four before the dais, Midna passed between the stationary Link and Zelda. Her footfalls echoed through her heart as she walked along, struggling with every ounce of courage she had gleaned from Link to keep her chin raised high and her eyes steady. Her cloak swirled through the sand behind her as she stepped along the path the knights had created. Every step felt like her last, and she sunk her toes into the warm sand at each step as if a tree soaking up every grain of water in order to remain blooming and proud. She would miss the feel of Hyrulean dirt, the scent of their spring air, the sound of their laughter, and the heart of their spirit.

Midna lifted her skirt with a hand and felt the Hyrulean sun warm her exposed blue leg as she ascended the stone dais at the center of the chamber. She looked with a heavy heart at the colossal black slab opposite her, and in that hesitant moment, she looked into her past. It had been a long time since she had walked the streets of her realm in her true body, and she had ruled poorly in those early days. She felt such shame when remembering her proud and wise father, entrusting his only daughter, selfish and wild, with his great legacy. Back then her father's throne had been but a fancy seat, but after it had been stolen in her blind arrogance, recovering it had been her sole priority … to make him proud at last.

And it had been Link to show her a path of true righteousness, filling her with the understanding of every virtue her father had tried so tirelessly to impress upon her.

It was time to set those teachings into motion.

She lifted a heavy hand then, and with a single touch of her fingertips, the Mirror of Twilight brimmed with life, its hum rising like the sound of a chorus. She heard the gasps of the Hylians as they watched the reflection of the Mirror pour outward, its rays bolting toward the black stone before it and etching its patterns across its featureless contours. The light coursed through the rock and brought its magical veins to life, creating the glowing white designs that spun in alternating circles.

When she looked back, she did not have to speak for the Twili to understand. Two-by-two they crept along the aisle between the Hylian soldiers, and Zelda watched from Link's side, as they stepped up to the dais in pairs, igniting a glowing crystal path. When each couple reached the end, the magic of the Mirror shined against their bodies and gently ripped them into shards, the black stone sucking them once more into their home dimension.

It was a long procession as the twenty-three Twili disintegrated into the realm beyond, silent save for the musical rustles that sounded as each body vanished in a whirl of dust. As the last Twili stepped up to the platform, he tossed an anxious look to his princess, and Midna placed a gentle hand on his shoulder with a reassuring smile. Still uneasy but his fears rinsing away, he stepped up to the edge and departed the world of light.

Midna stood there, a silent scream echoing through her body. To follow the path of duty, to live as a ruler was required was a difficult thing, and now she understood the meaning of sacrifice, which her father had tried to teach. The needs of her people must come before any base desire she would ever have … even if it meant leaving Link. She had nearly died in saving his life and the lives of Hyrule's princess and citizens, and she had done so to save their realms from the tyrant Ganondorf. In the end, that sacrifice had ensured peace, and now … her sacrifice this day would guarantee it lasted.

She turned back, stepping to the side of the dais, and found Link's face in the distance. His eyes had not left her, and, with Princess Zelda at his side, he stepped through the Hylians and up the stairs to meet Midna, truly at the edge of the world.

The Twilight Princess spoke to the princess of Hyrule first. She took a deep breath, doing everything to contain the emotions that screamed to burst free. "Well … I guess it's time we said farewell." That word made it a little easier. _Goodbye_ seemed so … final. "Light and shadow can't mix, as we all know," she said. This was something she had come to understand on that day … the day when Link had lain broken in her arms and the memory of Ganondorf had begun to wither. "But … never forget that there's another world bound to this one."

It was important that the light dwellers remember their pain, remember the sacrifices made, remember the Twili and the struggle they had overcome _together_, and the Twilight Princess was pleased to know that Princess Zelda was truly as wise as the legends surrounding her when she nodded and replied, "Shadow and light are two sides of the same coin." said Zelda. She laced her fingers together against her skirt and knew with every strand of her being that light and darkness were forever bound. "One cannot exist without the other."

Zelda looked to the Mirror, took in its extraordinary beauty. "I know now the reason the goddesses left the Mirror of Twilight in this world…" She touched its rim, touched the few chain links dangling from its side. "It was their design that we should meet." Zelda closed her eyes, feeling the energy of the goddesses bound within the Mirror. "Yes…" she nodded and reopened her eyes. "That is what I believe."

When she turned back to the Twilight Princess it was to find her head slightly bowed to the side, staring unfocused at the base of the Mirror, deep in thought. "Zelda…." She pulled her thoughts together and tried to blink away the emotions filling her gaze. Zelda's words lit her lips with a faint smile before it shattered with the coming of her voice. "Your words are kind, and your heart is true." She bowed her head to the princess of the light, granting her every honor she could afford. "If all in Hyrule are like you…" she pondered aloud, opening her eyes and giving the princess a smirk she had come to know all too well. "Then maybe you'll do all right."

It was a grin Zelda had received when this woman had been a cursed little imp who condemned the light _and_ its princess. A smirk that had mocked her so long ago, and now it had flashed across the face of the Twilight Princess with a spark of kindness … and a reminder of where they had all begun.

The Twilight Princess gazed upon Zelda for a long moment, letting her words sink in, before she turned away. Her bare feet slapped against the stone and her anklet jingled with every step she took. The air swirled about her frame, her cloak dancing. The current passed through Zelda and her hair swayed gently in the breeze.

Link remained silent as he watched the Twilight Princess step on the magical stones that then produced the stairway to her realm. When the eyes of Midna turned on him, stared into him, the corners of his mouth lifted ever so slightly. No matter her appearance, this was his Midna, the imp, the woman, he had come to care for so completely. And for the first time since he had met her on the Eldin hilltop, she spoke to him. "Well, the princess spoke truly." She looked between the Mirror of Twilight and Link's hopeful face. "As long as this Mirror's around, we could meet again…."

This was the only thing Link could have asked of Midna. He could see that she would not ask him to come with her, would not ask that he choose between his people and her realm, but she had left him with hope that she would return to see him. He did not know when, but he would cling to that hope and ride toward its horizon every day.

Midna watched as the light in Link's sapphire eyes gleamed with her reflection, and the final barrier against her deepest feelings finally began to crack. She fought against the rush of emotion, but it caught her in its whirlwind and it was all she could do to remain standing tall and proud. Her thin, slanted eyes watered as she drunk in Link's kind face, and she finally found the words she had been trying to say to him all this time. "Link…. Thank you."

But that was not all she had wanted to say. Her emotions burst and a tear, sparkling and bright in the orange shadows of the morning, trickled down her cheek. It was a tear that brought to life everything she had ever feared. It carried her care for Link, her every sacrifice, her every dream and every doubt. And it burned. She had only ever been a shadow, and shadows could not cry, could feel nothing but the sour and bitter cold. She had refused to see the light as anything but brightness … but the walls she had built against its radiance had come crashing down, brick by brick, every day she had spent with Link.

Midna lifted a finger to her cheek and touched the tear that had formed there. She had never felt so many emotions at once, never felt so alive in the same moment she thought she might die from the sensations pouring through her. She stared at the tear in wonder. Was this what it felt like? To care so entirely for someone … only to be forced to say goodbye?

She closed her eyes tightly against the stirring in her heart, tried to block out everything but the memory of her time with Link.

Link had never seen Midna cry, and to see her so distraught made his breath catch. He wanted to comfort her, to tell her that everything would be all right … that they would see each other again.

Midna struggled to find the words as the magic of her blood throbbed through her. "I…." She tried to tell Link, tried to tell him here at the end before she left. She did not want to say goodbye. She did not want to bid farewell. She wanted to tell him everything she felt, tell him everything she knew.

But there was no time. As her single tear began to shine brighter at the tip of her finger, she cast her hand out, and the shimmering orb floated into the air. It twinkled in the sunlight, glistening brighter than any star as it soared ever so slowly, ever so peacefully.

"See you later," Midna finally said, and her voice rang out in a half-whisper, her throat hoarse with sorrow but coated by a smile.

It was the only thing she could say that would express every feeling she had, every memory she clung to tightly, desperately, and she knew Link would understand her full meaning.

Like a kiss blown into the wind, Link wanted to catch her tear, and he reached out to erase her grief. Midna opened her eyes just in time to see his desperate attempt reflected in her tear … as it pierced the center of the Mirror, its magic washing over its surface. In an instant … the touch of her tear produced a fracture across the glass that also cracked her heart.

When Midna had spoken her last, it had filled Link to the brim with hope, confirming every lingering doubt he had had about seeing Midna again. But when he saw the sadness in her tear and heard the cracking of the Mirror, saw the fissures splintering through its perfect surface, his breath caught and his heart shattered.

_See you later_, she had said, and he had witnessed her return time and again. This time, however, the words were different. Midna had not wanted to say goodbye, had wished with all her heart that her words could find some truth, but they both knew that the hope her words promised was false. Something had lain hidden in her voice, and as Link watched in horror as the glass popped with every break, he finally understood.

"Midna…" he wanted to scream, but his voice was strangled by a gasp when he turned to find that she was already in motion, running up the lustrous stairs. When she stopped at the top, she turned to Link in a whirl of motion, and he could see the desperation in her eyes, the need to see him one last time before she vanished.

Link's window was closing, disappearing fast as the Mirror hummed to life one final time, but he could only stare, eyes wide and mouth hanging open, trying to give life to the words he so desperately wished would come.

She could see the pain in his eyes, the cruel understanding of what she had done, and she smiled at Link. It was not a smile that bade goodbye. It was one that said a final thanks, for it had been Link who had truly brought her to life.

Midna had known this day was coming since she had met Link. Back then she longed for it; today … she loathed it.

Her smile fell then and when she felt the light hit her body, she hoped it would be quick. She could not bear to see the look of shock across Link's face and knew that those sad eyes would haunt her for the rest of her life. She could not take back what she had done. She wanted to comfort Link, wanted to see him smile one last time, but it was too late. Her body was disintegrating, falling into Twilight. Beginning with her legs, her body turned to shadowy crystals, and they reflected the light and surrounded her like a gentle snowstorm.

Slowly, painfully, she felt herself vanishing from the world of light, and her heart caught in her throat. To combat the many more tears that wished to fall, all she could do was smile in the hopes of seeing Link's eyes sparkle her way once more.

But Link could not smile, eyes glued to her quickly disappearing figure, jaw agape in his helplessness to stop her from leaving … forever. Suddenly, he heard her voice again, and with it came the melody of the Twili, their soft ballad playing against her lips as she fell from his world. He could not comprehend the words, but somehow he knew that she had chosen a verse of homecoming … and goodbye. He could feel it course through his body and could feel the sadness in her voice as she sang of shadow and light.

For Midna, the last image of Link cut her like ice as, in an instant, he disappeared, leaving her staring blankly at the shadows that now hung in his place.

For Link, it had felt like minutes as he had watched her light fade, but it was merely seconds before the Mirror had cast its light upon her torso and eyes and driven her completely into the dimension beyond.

A tense silence hung in the air before the resounding burst of glass crackled through the air, the shards of the Mirror raining down as harmless ashes that twinkled in the light.

With Zelda at his side, Link stared blankly and wordlessly at the black, lifeless slab of stone before him, and in the corner of his eye, the rising sun gleamed through the archways. Light and dark forever bound yet so incompatible.

So began the first dawn of Link's journey without Midna.


	55. Chapter 48

**Chapter 48: Return to the Sacred Grove**

"_Only the true ruler of the Twili can destroy the Mirror of Twilight,"_ Midna had once said.

Link had tried not to think about Midna's disappearing image on the way back into Hyrule, but it was the only thing that continued to hammer inside his brain. The image of her beautiful figure vanishing into white dust … and her sad, small smile.

Her single tear had been enough to shatter the Mirror of Twilight completely. Zant's magic had fractured it into shards, but as the true ruler of the Twili, Midna had broken it so that its glass had again become nothing more than the sand from which it had been birthed. There was no means of repairing an artifact now scattered invisibly in the sand and washed away by the tides of the wind.

_"The Mirror of Twilight is our last potential link…"_ she had said, and Link knew that the only lasting portal between their worlds had been destroyed.

_I will never see her again._ Link had come to that nauseous realization reluctantly over the course of the few days it took for the small Hylian group to reach the outskirts of the desert once again, twenty-four riderless horses in tow.

Link had been in a daze for the entire ride, and no one had dared disturb his thoughts. Princess Zelda had no counsel for him and had decided it was best to give Link time to accept the fate of Midna in his own time.

_"See you later…."_ The words played continuously through his mind, and when Link was finally able to shake off its lingering whisper, he could hear the caw of the birds, the trickle of water, and he could smell the misty air surrounding Lake Hylia. The sight of its grand bridge looming ahead brought a sudden memory to him, and he realized that there was something he had left undone.

He pushed to the head of the column to reach Princess Zelda and nodded when she took notice of him. She smiled, pleased to see that he was beginning to recover from the shock of Midna's departure.

"Princess, there's something I need to do. It won't take long," he said, tentatively but with the voice of one used to following his own path.

She realized that he was asking for her permission to leave the procession, and she nodded him on.

He bowed his head, and took up Epona's reins. "I will rejoin you on the other side of the bridge," he promised, and then he clicked at Epona and threw her into a gallop, turning her from the group to move ahead and wind down the hanging cliffs that jutted out from the land surrounding Great Bridge of Hylia.

Link wove through the cliffs until he reached the spread of hills below that rose from the water and made his way across the narrow wooden bridges that connected them. The last few hung too close to the water for Epona to trust, and she tossed her mane and kicked, refusing to take her master any farther. Link leapt down, hushing his old friend until she snorted contended under his soothing palm.

"Wait here, girl," he cooed, and he turned from her side to pass through the narrow bridges that brought him to the shallow waters at the mouth of Lanayru's spring.

Hesitantly, he approached the cavern, for the last time he had been here, Midna had nearly died and he had been turned into a mindless beast. He assured himself that the threat had vanished, recalling the way the usurper king's neck had snapped all life from his body. With that image fresh in his mind, he entered the dark tunnel and wound through its reaches until he came to the shimmering yellow and green lights of the rocks surrounding the crystal clear waters beneath the precipice where he stopped.

A fluttering cloud of dust hung over the spring, and by its faint shimmers and the way its particles seems to sing as they orbited the central mass, Link knew that Lanayru's spirit remained strong and alive within the cavern. He smiled, looking across the features of the cave as its light reflected around it. Link realized he had never noticed the serpent carvings that lined the walls, their necks stretching forward as clear water ran in a constant trickle from their gaping maws.

Link stood there, eyes closed momentarily, trying to stretch back into his memories. He brought forth an image into his mind, but it soon escaped him as he tried to remember. This was the last place he had had it….

When he opened his eyes and looked around, his mind still spinning to find the answers, a bright light glinted in the corner of his eye. His attention snapped to it, and he smiled. He had not sent a prayer to Lanayru, or, at least, he did not think he had. He was not sure. He had never really prayed before.

But there it was, the sword he had lost in his tussle with the King of Shadows, the very sword Rusl had entrusted to him.

The Ordon sword.

Link wove around the sloping shore of the spring until he came to the bottom and bent to one knee. Its steel lay against the shore, half-in and half-out of the water, glistening against the shine of the spirit's glow. He fished for the blade's hilt and brought it out of the water. It had been a long time since he had held this blade, and it felt alien in his grasp as he realized … it had never truly been his to claim.

Gathering himself up, he sent a silent thank you to Lanayru for keeping the blade safe … and for everything it had helped him achieve.

Once at Epona's side again, Link sheathed the Ordonian steel into a bundle on the back of her saddle. He mounted and urged her forward, weaving through the hills and bridges to reach the other side of the lake and climb the cliffs that would return them to the heights of the Great Bridge. When they reached their destination, it was to find that the Hylian entourage had not waited for Link, and he could not blame the soldiers for ushering their princess forward. He did not want to cause any inconvenience for Princess Zelda.

Scanning ahead, he found them making their way through the hills surrounding the densely forested western plain. Pushing Epona into a steady canter, he rejoined their unit within minutes, nodding to Princess Zelda when she noticed him return to the line.

Within the next hour, they reached the great bridge leading into Castle Town. Link could see even being two horses behind her that the princess was both eager and apprehensive to return home, for she had not been in the city for a long time. Even before she had tended to the wounded in Kakariko, she had been imprisoned within the darkened walls of her grand castle for months. Now, to return to it broken and defiled, Link wondered how she would react.

Great sections of the battlement walls had fallen away from Ganondorf's short reign, and Zelda could see that most of the spires and flying buttresses of her majestic home had been completely obliterated. The throne room still stood at its peak, but large sections of the walls and ceiling had collapsed. The sight took Link off guard, and somehow it had transported him back to the last time he had seen the round face of the little Midna gazing up at him with that caring smile.

_"See you later…."_ The words haunted him, and he shook his head to free himself of the way they tangled through his mind.

Zelda took a deep breath as they passed through the tall double doors of the city, bracing herself for the hundreds of faces that would turn to her for guidance, faces distraught under the ashes settling against their homes.

But there were no desperate faces, no crying children … no broken dreams.

When they entered the town, the folk were racing about, helping each other with their things, clearing the rubble from the streets, unloading wagons, repainting the wood of their kiosks, removing the boards across their homes. There were children playing in the streets and laughter echoing against every stone.

As they pulled into the main plaza, music blared strong and loud, a cheerful tune. Masses of people were lined together dancing and celebrating with a toast. Children splashed through the waters of the fountain, and bellowing Gorons banged fists jovially onto their rocky abdomens.

The townspeople caught sight of their returning princess, and as they had not seen her in a long time, many approached her to extend their deepest gratitude and respect. They had long feared for their princess's wellbeing, and Zelda's heart skipped at seeing so many smiling faces staring up at her. A young woman came forward and offered her a bundle of violet flowers, and Zelda accepted them graciously. She wanted to join her people in their festivities, but there was much work to be done. She found comfort as they rejoiced and knew that no matter the hardships they had faced as a people, no matter the fear they had suffered, the Hyrulean people were strong, and the sacrifices that had led to their peace would not be forgotten.

The knights led the way toward the portcullis, and as Link followed he caught sight of a very familiar face. Young Soal. He stood next to his mother as she sipped a drink and laughed alongside a younger girl and portly fellow. Pride filled Soal's eyes as he waved enthusiastically, and Link offered him a short nod and grin. Soal's mother noticed their exchange, noticed the bandages around Link's arm, and she tipped her glass to him to thank him for all the kind words she knew he had offered her son. She knew what he had done, what he had given up and sacrificed to save her son and those like him. She would never be able to repay such an act of valor.

On they went through the broken gates, the ones he had barred before Rusl. The look on Rusl's face had not been one of betrayal, but the pain that had glistened in his eyes when Link had closed him off from the castle still hung in his mind on occasion. Crossing the threshold brought back the memory and the cold feeling in his heart. He could hear the man's desperate cries once more as he had turned away and plunged into the castle.

There were many things Link had done on his journey that he found himself second-guessing now, and this was the one that dangled in his thoughts most prominently. Had he saved lives by cutting them off, or had he prolonged the inevitable? Would they have stood a better chance within the bailey, or had the square provided them the better battleground? Link tossed a glance behind him. Already the stains of war and blood were fading from the rains that had poured that night, but there were some marks that would never truly leave. Link looked to his left hand, and even though he could not see it through his glove, its brand still remained strong.

To console Link, Rusl might have told him that his past actions no longer mattered. The past was the past, and the day had been won. But was a man not to learn from his mistakes as well as his triumphs?

Link woke from his daydreams to find that they had at last come to the courtyard. They halted their advance and looked about. Bodies, both Hylian and foe, still littered the ground, but hundreds of surviving knights were well into their work of clearing the corpses and piling them separately, rows displaying every courageous fallen solider and a heap of the wretched creatures who had plagued their lands.

The general parted from a group of his lieutenants then and marched toward the princess's convoy. He extended a hand to Zelda, and as she dismounted, she asked, "What is the damage?" Out of respect, the mounted Hylians slid down from their horses, as did Link.

The general smiled. The first Link had seen from this man. "A demon can break stone, but it cannot break our spirits." His grin faded slowly as he saw the princess look toward the rows of lifeless knights. "Our losses were many, and they will be honored," he replied to her unvoiced question. "But … the number would have been much greater if not for…" -his eyes darted to Link, considering, before turning back to his princess- "the blessing of the gods."

Link's smirk was quick and faint at the general's words, glad that the proud man had accepted his will to defend the people of Hyrule.

"Come," the general said. "You should rest after your journey."

"I am well, thank you," Zelda kindly dismissed. "I shall join the knights."

The general hid his grin, but Link could see it in his small eyes. "Very well. This way."

Before following the general, Zelda turned. At first, the soldiers surrounding her thought perhaps she would give them orders, but they realized that her eyes were solely upon Link. Courteously, they stepped back to offer her room to approach. Link could not slouch due to the nature of his injuries, and at his full height, Zelda had to look up into his eyes. She smiled that in that soft way of hers, and Link grinned in return. She extended a hand and gently placed it over his left arm. It reminded him of the night they had stood on Eldin field, the way her light had steeled his rage when all he had desired was vengeance for Midna's murder.

"Thank you, Link, for your company on the road." She did not have to say it, but she wanted to.

"Of course, Princess," he returned, a little timid in her presence while being surrounded by so many staring eyes.

Zelda's smile remained as she removed her hand and turned to follow the general toward the demolished castle. The knights trailed behind with their horses in tow, leaving Link alone. He had one last task to complete before he left, however, simply as Link, the wrangler from Ordon. It took him a moment to build up his nerve.

"Princess Zelda?" he called, and she and her guards immediately stopped as she turned back to Link. She had risen a few steps up the ruined stairs and front gate of her castle, the general waiting at the threshold.

Link drew the Ordon sword from Epona's bundles, and on instinct the Hylian knights' hands flew to their hilts. None pulled their weapon on Link, however, and he approached them, tentatively at first, then with a resolute stride. He stopped a few meters before Zelda on the cobblestone path below the entrance. He gazed across the glimmering steel of the blade in his hand, weathered and scratched from use.

Finally, he found his words. "A long time ago, when all I knew was the scent of the Wood and the feel of the wind on my face…" -his eyes closed at the memory of the fresh aroma carried on the breeze- "I was but an ignorant boy who dreamed of adventure." He opened his eyes, looked at the steel of the blade again, saw how he barely recognized the reflection there. "I was asked to journey into Hyrule, but soon my journey became something I had never imagined, and I discovered a world that called me _Hero_." Looking back on the days he had spent in Hyrule, he finally realized he had barely been able to breathe until now, the weight of his mission had been so great.

He gazed up at the princess then to find her smiling as she listened from her pedestal. He took a half step forward. "Now, Hyrule is at peace…" -he found comfort in saying those words- "but my original task still remains."

Link slowly bent a knee as he worked against the swelling pain still in his chest to lower himself humbly before his princess. On his knees he placed the Ordon sword before him, perfectly parallel and shining in the sun. He looked onto its shimmering surface as if gazing into magical waters that transported him into the past. "This was meant as a gift for the royal family of Hyrule." He did not look up to see that Zelda's smile had turned to surprise, wonder and pleasure at how his fame had not changed any part of his ordinary character.

Instead, Link plucked up the blade into one upturned palm, balancing the sword flawlessly as he stretched out his arm to Zelda. He bowed his head. "Princess, if you would have it, you would do great honor to the village of Ordon."

His words hung on the air in the quiet moment Zelda gazed upon her most loyal subject. Here before her knelt Hyrule's savoir, a boy of humble beginnings whose reputation would follow him even beyond death. Even now, after a grueling journey that had claimed blood and tears, he bowed his head just as any face in the crowd. His ferocity in battle was well known, but his gentle heart and mild nature were his greatest assets.

When Zelda descended the steps of her castle, the general shifted behind her, hiding his grin behind his beard. The knights stepped back, lining the cobblestone to either side, and the princess took slow steps down the aisle toward the kneeling hero.

Quietly and almost timidly, Zelda took the hilt into her hand. She felt the weight of it and searched its dented and worn features. She gripped its hilt tight, testing its weight and admiring the cut of its blade. Finally, she said, "Well crafted, well balanced. Your blacksmith creates fine work."

Link was pleased to hear her approval, but then she asked, "This was your blade, was it not?"

The question caught him, but he replied quickly. "It was never mine to claim."

"But my people are alive and thriving because of its steel," she continued. Her voice tested him.

Link's answer came apologetically. "I had no choice."

She shifted her focus from the blade to the man, considering his gift and his answers. Link…. Never had there been a man more humble, truer or more valiant, than he.

"I accept Ordon's gift-"

"Thank you, Princess-" said Link, before realizing that Zelda had not finished speaking, and he stunted his words.

"-and as a gift, I do with it as I please," the princess finished. "I offer it to a hero who saved my kingdom from great peril, a man who showed great courage." She closed the remaining distance between them and lifted his chin with her fingertips, seeing the look of bemusement in his sapphire eyes. "Link of Ordon, please, rise, and accept this blade."

Link rose at his princess's request, but his puzzlement remained. He understood her words, understood that she thanked him and named him hero, but his uncertainty had come at her intention. But when he rose and looked between her smiling eyes and the weathered features of Ordon's blade, he realized that she was not asking him to become one of her knights. Had that been the case, they both knew he would have refused. In that silent moment, they understood each other entirely. Together, they served Hyrule, their hearts beat as one for the kingdom … but as Zelda was bound by her office, Link's spirit could never be tamed in the same way.

Link took the hilt from Zelda and returned his eyes to hers. When she smiled, the warmth filled her entire face. "Use it wisely."

He nodded, captivated under her eyes. His words were quiet and true. "Always … Princess Zelda."

Link bowed and backed away. When he mounted Epona and turned her toward the castle gates, he looked to Zelda one final time before disappearing just as quickly as he had stumbled into her life those months ago.

===============

As Link made his way through the streets of Castle Town, he realized how exposed he had become without the cloak Zelda had given him. Back then the people had still given him notice, but with the hood he had had the ability to shield himself from the fame he still believed he did not deserve. Now, however, even had he the protection of that mantle, he would not have dismissed their every thank you or cheer as he passed. He understood well enough that he had defeated a great evil and given them back their livelihoods, and they needed closure.

He made his way toward Telma's bar. With the town in celebration, Link could only guess that the people were gathered in her establishment and likely keeping her quite busy. When he entered it was to find the place returned to its former glory, looking less like a bloodied triage ward and more like a place to relax, with dozens of soldiers and citizens alike cheering loudly and singing songs of heroes. Once they caught sight of Link, a plump knight lifted his mug of ale and shouted, and the surrounding crowd joined in his cheer. "Come! Have a drink with us!" the large Hylian laughed, and he slid a mug straight into his hand.

Though he would have much preferred water, Link did not want to offend their kindness and took a swig of the ale at the same time the large knight and several others drained a last draught from their mugs. As the soldiers called merrily for a refill, Link, smiling, made his way toward the counter where Telma had been lounging. At the shout, Telma beat away the unfocused stare that had captured her and slapped on a smile. Her face did not truly light up, however, until she approached the crowd and caught sight of Link.

"Link, honey, how are you?" she bellowed.

He grinned and waved the elbow of his injured arm as he said, "Taking it easy."

"Good to see you up and walking about," said Telma, and he sensed that while she had sat quietly her thoughts had been centered on him. "Things 'round here are finally getting back to normal. And," she said, looping her arm through his left, as if to take him into confidence, "the soldiers are finally getting that old coot to pay up on his tab!" She nodded to the corner, where the short Doctor Borville stood cleaning off a table with a rather loathsome expression on his wrinkled face. Telma winked at Link and took the mug of ale from his hand, trading it with a hot cup of milk. This made him smile; this motherly woman knew exactly how to make him feel at home.

As Link took a grateful sip of his new drink, Telma nodded him toward the back room. "Shad and Ashei are in the other room, if you wanna say hello." Link could already hear Shad talking excitedly about something inside.

_Back to normal_. Link sighed and took a sip, silently toasting. His lips lingered at the rim of his mug, however, as his grin faded. _Normal…._

Everyone was getting back to their lives, making repairs and plans, continuing on. They had it all figured out. The Ordonians, the Gorons, the Twili, the Hylians…. They had all gone home, returned to their routines. Yet, what was Link to do now? The question had plagued him constantly since beginning the trek across Hyrule to see his friends home, and he still had no answer. Link had become so accustomed to the mindset of his missions, the people to save and the artifacts to collect, that he was not entirely sure what he was supposed to do now that it was all over. Certainly, he could go back to Ordon, continue where he left off like everyone else, but….

But he could not go back to the way things were … because while everyone else's lives had been interrupted by the chaos, the call to arms had been Link's awakening, had been the event that had _begun_ his life. How was he to continue something that had ended as abruptly as it had begun?

Should he move on? Explore the lands beyond Hyrule as Rusl had once suggested? See the world? Link's dream had been to see Hyrule at peace, and now he had achieved that goal. What was it one did when one realized an impossible dream? Did one simply return to all that was familiar? Or was his answer past the horizon?

Leaning against the bar, Link felt a nudge at his shoulder. Turning, he saw Telma's long-haired cat. Link stroked its head and it purred into his palm. It sniffed the air, and Link realized that it smelled his milk. He smiled and offered the mug to the animal, setting it down on the counter. As it poked its head inside and lapped up the fresh milk, Link turned back to the other room.

He made his decision, but it only prolonged his inevitable choice. There were still loose ends for Link to bind, and here was as good a place as any to start. He had once promised to tell Shad of the time he had disappeared from Kakariko. With the Dominion Rod gone, he could not show Shad the wonders of the great city in the sky, but there was another place he thought might interest the young scholar just as thoroughly.

And it was a place that beckoned him.

When Link entered the small room, Shad greeted him with a wide smile, "Link, ole boy! How were your travels? I hear the … Twili-yes, that's it-returned home. Interesting people. Not very talkative. I would have loved to have seen this Twilight Realm, studied their culture. Tell me, is it true in their realm there is no sun? Oh, I wonder how their climate works, their seasons…. Hmm, fascinating." As he spoke, Shad had gone from standing to greet Link to leaning against his chair and pondering to himself. Link looked to Ashei-still in full armor-who sat quietly eating a large meal, and her blank expression did not exactly make it appear she had been enjoying her conversation with Shad.

"They likely would have answered your questions if you had shut up long enough for them to even try," came her curt reply, still looking at her food.

Shad's features flushed slightly. "…Er … well, I suppose I do get a little carried away…."

Link stifled his laugh at their banter. It was not that he thought their constant arguing funny-although, that was part of it. He simply found comfort knowing that the scars of the war had not marked them, had not taken away the things that made them who they were.

He leaned forward and offered his proposition. "How would you feel about an expedition?"

"Oh?" The word caught Shad's interest, and he pushed up his spectacles. "Where are we going?"

Link pushed off from the table to stand upright again. "A place where legends are made and heroes are born."

===============

The journey had been exactly what Link had needed. The road, the open air. And Shad was the perfect travel companion, for with their constant discussion, Link had no time to think, no time for his thoughts to stray to Midna and how much he missed her. They spoke of the Oocca, of the wonders of Celestia, and Link found the conversation stimulating, at last sharing a tale of his adventure, opening up to someone about the things he had witnessed and sharing the knowledge he had learned.

Ashei, who had volunteered to come only to provide additional security, followed behind them at a distance with an extra horse in tow that carried several bundles and satchels. Naturally, she did not seem interested in their topic of conversation, taking solace instead in her surroundings, but Link occasionally caught her gaze shifting toward them. What was on her mind, however, he could not fathom. Her thoughts and feelings were those not easily decipherable, and he had given up a long time ago.

Looking back at their fourth horse, bound with their luggage, Link thought of Auru. They had encountered him in the square when making their preparations and extended an invitation to him. He had refused, of course, due to the work still to complete in returning the castle and the town to its former glory. Auru had long since retired from the service of the royal family, but as one of the most learned men in all of Hyrule, who better to help rebuild and see that the mistakes of the past were not repeated? Link suspected that the princess might even extend him the honor of joining her council of advisors or perhaps become her personal advisor. He was not exactly sure how the monarchy worked having lived in Ordon all his life.

When they crossed the border into Faron Woods, Link heard Shad gasp at the beauty of the forest, which made Link feel a certain pride in having hailed from such a province. Although, a string of sneezes from Shad momentarily shattered the scholar's wonderment. He wiped his nose on a handkerchief and returned it to his shirt pocket. He told Link how he had never visited the woods south of Hyrule. His expeditions had always taken him to dry places like the mountains or areas like Lake Hylia where the air was clear. The pollen dancing around them here made the air smell sweeter, and while the adventurer in Shad delighted in the new sensation, his body did not share the same enjoyment.

At that, Shad began to inquire into life in the woods, and Link shared with him what it had been like to grow up in an isolated, beautiful world where he had been completely at peace. He told him a funny story of how Link's first hunting lesson had nearly ended with an arrow in Rusl's foot and admitted how, when he had grown older, he had sometimes spent days in the woods climbing through the trees and fishing in its springs. Shad could see the appeal of his lifestyle but jokingly admitted that he did not think he could survive for long without a good book and a hot bath.

Their road continued like this, easy and alive with conversation, as they made their way deeper and deeper still into the forest. As Link and Shad shared stories, they occasionally tried to pry a comment or two from Ashei, to which she either ignored or urged them to keep their eyes on the road. The few times she did speak out was to offer a survival tip or to reprimand Shad that his mindset about the history of Hyrule was too idealistic and childish.

It took them some time before they reached the deep woods where the giants slept, but the Master Sword was beckoning him, guiding him, and he never lost his way. They stopped at the cliff face where Link remembered coming to Talo's rescue so very long ago, and Shad marveled at the sight of the colossal trees and their canopies as massive as the sky. Ashei even seemed impressed by the sight and brought her horse up alongside Shad to first look across the giants of the wood and then downward into the depths of the canyons below.

They made camp there for the night, and as Shad sat and sketched the landscape in one of the many journals he had brought, Link noticed that Ashei had wondered from the camp to stand at the edge of the cliff. Gathering himself up from the fire, he tentatively approached her. He already knew that she would sense his presence, and when she did not demand his leave, he stepped up alongside her. Her arms were crossed as she looked into the wood, her expression deep.

For a long time, neither spoke, watching the shadows from the moon play against the bark as the leaves rustled musically in the breeze. The fireflies sparkled in the darkness and the insects rattled and buzzed.

Finally, it was Ashei that spoke. "This is a fine place to call home," she said. "I grew up in the mountains surrounding the Zoras, and the winters there were always long and cold." Though Link could sense a bit of jealousy, he also understood from her tone that she was proud to have hailed from such a harsh environment. "My father always said that a life of luxury was the fruit of ignorance … and weakness."

Link could understand the meaning of such words, for he had lived in ignorance for some time, but the forest had structured him into a boy capable of the feats of a man. He did not want to argue with Ashei, however, and asked simply, "Where is your father now?"

Her answer came swift and solid. "Dead."

"Oh… I…." Link should have guessed as much with the way she spoke of him, but the manner in which she had confirmed this had caught his tongue.

"You don't need to say anything. You never knew him," she said, and though it sounded like a reprimand, he knew she was only comforting him because she was already at peace with it.

Link's thoughts turned inward. "I never knew my parents," he said quietly, and Ashei finally turned to look at him. "Rusl is the only father I've ever known."

"Then he was a good teacher," she said, and Link looked her way. Though she praised Rusl through this compliment, it also served another purpose, and when she smiled, Link understood that she had finally acknowledged his skill. Voicing her acceptance through direct words was not her way; they both knew this. She was too proud.

Seeing Ashei grin was a little strange, and a smirk cracked through Link's lips, making the corner of his mouth twitch. Her smile was one thing he thought he would never see during the course of his journey.

_Back to normal_, he had once thought, but now he realized the truth. _There_ is _no going back._

"The past is a dangerous place to go," warned Ashei, certain that Link's thoughts rolled through questions of his biological parents. He had not thought about them in some time, but found himself lingering in the stew of his questions and once more imagining faces and names for them. "Memories are like scars. They trigger something in you, make you smile about how you survived, but in the end all they deal is pain. If you live in the past, you're never going to amount to anything."

With that, Link finally understood what bothered her so much about Shad. He lived in the past, lived off the energy of civilizations that had come before, reveled in the discovery of something ancient. Ashei, however, preferred a life at its base value, a life in the present, a life lived moment to moment. He could understand both points of view.

Link remembered the Shade, the many encounters he had had with the soul of the hero of a time long since gone, and he came to his own conclusion.

"Without the past, we can't understand who we are," said Link. "Sometimes it's painful and sometimes it's not … so I think we just have to accept it and live with it. It lives in us." It had taken him a long time to accept it, but he knew that unless by some miracle … he would likely never meet his parents. Rusl was his father, and Ordona his mother.

"Perhaps you're right," she conceded, and she gazed into the woods again. An afterthought came to her, and she shrugged. "When we first met, I never thought I'd have an intelligent conversation with you."

"Neither did I," retorted Link, which made her smile reappear.

"Truce," offered Ashei, but it was more of a declaration than asking Link to agree. A moment later, her grin was gone and she said plainly, "One on one, though, I wager I could squash you."

Link's laugh echoed through the trees, and for the rest of the night he wondered just how such a match might end.

===============

Traversing through the dense paths of the deep forest the next day would have proved the end to any man with its twisting roads as the leaves molded the sun's rays into an eerie blue light. Link's first experience through these woods had been a dance in darkness, and even during his trek with Rusl, he would have gotten lost had it not been for the older man. Now, however, instinct guided Link. He heard Shad's intermittent doubt in his direction, swearing that he had seen this tree or that rock before; Ashei did not speak, but her expression was filled with caution. Link's only comfort to them was his continued silence as he guided, listening to the wind in the trees and the lingering hum in his soul that he knew neither could hear.

When the trees became sparser and opened up into a small grove, he heard Shad gasp behind him. As they continued into the grove, Link looked upon the area with a new eye. Like so many other places, he had never had a moment to spend in awe of the beauty surrounding him. It was clear that there had been a cathedral-like structure here in the past, but the stones were now scattered and whole walls had tumbled, and the stones were now so moss-covered, weeds sprouting through the cracks, that the distinction between life and stone was near impossible to gauge.

They urged their horses through the break in the walls and came to rest within what remained of the ancient temple's central chamber. It was all familiar to Link. To the right lay the ruined staircases leading up to a balcony, and to his left were the statues that guarded the entrance to the chamber that once housed a legendary treasure.

Link gazed up at the door that had served as a link to the past and remembered how the temple had once looked compared to its current state. He wondered what the old hero had thought of the sight, the wonder of the temple, if he had stopped to take in its remarkable beauty or if he had entered in haste to claim his birthright.

With that, Link dismounted and slowly stepped toward the guardians. When he crossed over the royal crest painted on the ground, he stopped. Suddenly, he felt like a young, innocent boy again with the thirst for strength, his blood churning with the desire to be the hero he needed to be. It was an empowering feeling, and Link lost himself in it for a moment until he realized that perhaps the spirit of the old hero remained alive within the magic of the very stones surrounding him.

"This place … is incredible!" he heard Shad gasp, as the young scholar clumsily hopped down from his saddle. Ashei, too, dropped to the ground, and as she stepped carefully, even her eyes were prey to its wonder. "This place has been lost for … well, at least a century. It's remarkable! Link, is this truly-?"

"The Temple of Time," the green-clad youth confirmed immediately. As they roamed behind him, Link stood ever still, eyes glued to the door before him. The Master Sword hummed through his bones, summoning him to his last act as Hero. Its labors were complete, and both sword and hero were to be put to rest once more.

Without another word, Link moved away from them to approach the entrance to the stairway. Shad noticed and went to follow him, but Ashei stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. She shook her head, and though disappointed, Shad understood.

Link passed the archway, and stepped through the ruined remains of what looked like a door that had once blocked entry to the stairs. Stepping across the threshold was like stepping through a door of time itself, for in his mind he was immediately returned to the moments he had first stepped through the passage, in the form of a cursed beast desperate for the feel of light. His steps came slow as he drifted through memories and a whirl of sensations that felt like another soul entirely.

As he took the last step into the chamber within, he stopped, staring at the pedestal at the center. He remembered the glowing light that had saved him, the feeling of a thousand waves rushing through him and cleansing his soul. He approached the pedestal and as he stood before it, gazing at its empty niche, he reached back.

The chime of the Master Sword hummed as he unsheathed it and held it firm in his hand. This blade had been the light of Hyrule's new dawn and the savior of thousands. It had been the quiet guardian, watching, waiting, resting until the time came for a hero to pull it from its slumber. It never whined, never doubted, never surrendered. The Master Sword was the true sword, the only sword, the first sword, and he could feel in its leather binding and see in its reflection its ancient age. Many stories told of heroes and legends, and this blade had been the mother of them all. Link was not the first to hold this blade, nor, he suspected, might he be the last, but his time with the sword had ended. He had become part of its legend, become one of its honored heroes, but it was time to let it rest once more.

Link plunged the sword into the pedestal, and the gleam of its blade brightened as its chime reverberated with a ring strong enough to shatter glass. Its light seemed to unearth a renewed vigor to the features of the room and the sky above. He felt the chime thunder through the veins of the soil beneath as its piercing echo diminished. Its shimmer, however, never faded as it fell dormant, for even in its slumber the Master Sword watched … and waited.


	56. Epilogue

**Epilogue: Of Heroes and Legends**

The road back home had been the longest journey Link had ever taken. Over the past many months, no matter where he had gone, he had always had a companion. Even after Midna had left, he had journeyed into the city with Zelda, and he had left again in the company of Shad and Ashei. Now, his thoughts were all that kept him company, and they were sad and lonely thoughts even in his victory … even in his happiness and comfort.

He had delayed his leave from the Sacred Grove for some time after returning the Master Sword, but after a while he had accepted that he, too, needed to return home. He had left Shad in capable hands. _"Wherever the road takes you, be safe,"_ Ashei had said in farewell, and he imagined that Shad had only vaguely been aware of his departure, as he had completely fallen into his work of discovering the forgotten wonders of the Temple of Time.

Link did not speed his way home, although he wanted to. Instead, he allowed Epona to take the journey at a steady trot, for he had asked too much of her during Hyrule's reigning despair. He tried to empty his mind of all but the voice of the wind in the forest and the melody of his surroundings as the branches swayed and their leaves danced. Yet, with every ray of light there lay a vessel of shadow, and with it brought stinging memories.

_"Did you think I'd disappeared?"_ came a giggle from his mind, as he looked into the shadows. Midna had mocked him then, returning him to Faron Woods after their first meeting inside Hyrule Castle. Back then he had hoped he would never have to see her again, but now, he searched the shadows, trying vainly to see her black figure and her single impish eye staring out at him. He remembered the first time she had risen from his shadow, how it had startled him. Even with the constant threats against his life, he would have given anything to relive his yesterdays, for every tomorrow was so hard to accept without Midna.

_"None could return from it to the world of light,"_ she had once said of the Twilight Realm, and she had seemed so jealous then. _"…forever doomed to live in the twilight, flitting in the half-light of dusk, mere shadows of Hyrule."_ The memory made him wonder if she was happy once more in the Twilight, or if she was still envious and angry that she had been forced to live in such a dark, eerie place. He remembered, though, how she had described the Twilight upon the eve of their journey into her world … the night he had learned the truth about her heritage. _"Some call our realm a world of shadows, but that makes it sound unpleasant…"_ she had said. _"The twilight there holds a serene beauty."_ Link had seen that for himself, and he had hoped to see and feel that beauty one more time. Now, that was impossible, and he vowed he would never lose those memories, never forget the warmth of the Twilight, nor the silken, shadowy beauty of his companion.

When he arrived home, it was in the dead of night, and no one was there waiting to welcome him home. He was thankful for that, thankful that the children had not dawdled around his house day and night waiting for his return. Now, he could settle back in in silence and in his own time.

He gazed up at his tree house and took in its dark silhouette. It looked lifeless, as if no one had lived here in years rather than only a few months. Its façade greeted him like an old friend, and he could almost see a face in its bark, welcoming him home from a life of adventure, but something seemed different. He had never trimmed the landscape around his home; he had always let nature live and grow in whatever ways it preferred, and so the grass and weeds surrounding his home had risen nearly to the porch before his door, and vines had begun to coil around the rungs of the meters-tall ladder that led up to it. Leaves that had blown free from their branches had collected on the rooftop and window panes.

Slowly, Link dismounted and led Epona over to her alcove. He removed the weights from her back and set the saddle and bundles down near her. As she nestled down for the night, the grass tickled her, but she found comfort in the warmth it provided. She snorted happily as Link patted down her mane and scratched her ear. Link bade her goodnight and headed up the ladder.

When he opened the door, its hinges creaked and echoed into the void of his hollowed home. Stepping tentatively inside, he had never realized how big it was, how the hollow tree made him feel equally as empty. It was … strange to feel so alien inside his own house, to feel like an outsider within the very walls he had helped carve. Moonlight poured in through the windows high above, and he left the door open as he moved forward. There was enough light for him to see that nothing had been touched since he had left. No one had even stopped by to tidy his house, for everyone knew that he preferred privacy and solitude.

Or did he?

Standing in the shadows in the night, he saw the items Colin had given him over the years, the paintings of Link, Ilia, Epona, and him. Link stepped up to the wall where they hung and ran his fingers over the face of Colin, a boy who had once been a timid little thing content with a simple, happy life … and then his fingers stopped on Ilia, his childhood friend. He moved his hand over the drawing next to it, an older drawing, one that pictured a very young Link with a very young Ilia and Fado. It was this drawing that Link had crafted himself ten years ago. Ilia … a girl he had long cared for, a girl he had known all his life.

He looked down at the table where he had set the other crafts Colin had made. There were wooden dolls dressed like Link and Colin and Rusl; a small ocarina that, though it was a good attempt, had never really been able to carry a decent tune; and his fishing rod. Link realized he was leaning against the wall, fingers still covering the picture he had drawn as a child. Seeing Ilia's young face reminded him of something she had said.

_"…something I wanted to give you before you left on your journey." _

Link opened one of the pouches hanging from his belt and pulled out the horseshoe charm Ilia had made for him. He remembered the way Ilia had sobbed into his shoulder, the way he had held her tight and promised, _"I'm here. I've always been here."_ He would always be her friend, the confidant to her every tear, but there was another vow he had made, and it pained him that he had broken it.

_"Wherever it is you go, I will follow."_

His promise had shattered with a single tear. Midna had left in an explosion of light and shadow, departing from his world as quickly as she had giggled into it. He had been mesmerized by her transformation, and he remembered reaching out to touch the smoothness of her glossy new face, only for his fingers-just inches from her skin-to fall away from the weight of his pain as he had fallen into numb oblivion.

Link unstrapped his scabbard and laid it down on a table next to the one before him. He looked from the hilt of the Ordon sword, once more sheathed in the hero's scabbard, to the fishing rod.

Two separate worlds … colliding all this time to produce his greatest challenge yet. The choice everyone had faced when Ganondorf had been defeated: the choice of how to move on, how to live. And he realized it was not a choice of which friend was more important, whom he would defend with his last breath. It was a choice of staying put or moving on, living in constant isolation and peace or taking to the wonder and unpredictability of adventure.

He could choose the wood, or he could choose the road. He did not have to abandon one to accept the other. If he left he would always have a home to return to, and if he stayed, the horizon would be there to greet him the next day … and upon every morrow.

But what if he suffered a permanent injury if he stayed, an injury that prevented him from traveling, or if he settled down and had a family and his responsibilities as a husband and father prohibited him from leaving their side?

Yet, if he left, what if he got lost and could not find his way home? What if he took to the road and enjoyed it so much that he forgot about his friends he had left behind?

He unsheathed the Ordon sword, stepped back and twirled it in his hand before looking into its surface. The solution was right before him, his answer in the glimmer of the steel. With this sword he would carry every memory with him. If he stayed he would always remember his journey with Midna, and if he left he would always have it to remind him where he came from.

Still, he could not choose. After bringing peace to Hyrule, he had seen happiness return to every denizen of Hyrule. Which choice would bring _him_ happiness? Protecting Hyrule had never been a choice; it had been an obligation he had felt to his very core, but now … now it was he who could decide where his road led.

_"Some say … he went on to live out his days in Hyrule Castle as a knight. Others believe he settled down, had a family; others still, say that he left Hyrule, in search of adventure, never to return to his birth land."_ Link remembered the words of Auru on the night he had asked the fate of the hero of old and wondered if it had been just as impossible for him to decide.

===============

Link had not found much sleep that night, and when the first signs of dawn broke through his window, he decided to seek counsel from the only man he thought might understand his plight. Carefully, he traversed back down the ladders from his bed and slipped into his tunic and boots. He tried to leave the house without his sword, but he felt too light without it and ended up going back for it.

He took the road at a steady pace, leaving Epona behind to rest from their travels. He needed time to prepare for the many faces he would encounter at any rate. When he arrived in the village, only the adults were awake and seeing to the chores of the day, and he stopped as each greeted and thanked him for the safe return of their children and to spend some time asking about his travels. Link was finding it easier since his journey with Shad to open up about a few of the details of the lands he had crossed and the wonders he had seen. No conversation lasted too long, however, for none wished to keep Link from his path and Link did not want to keep them from their chores. Everyone noticed the sling around his arm immediately and a kind "Get well" was everyone's parting words.

When he had stopped to talk with Jaggle at the pumpkin patch, Link's attention fell on the mayor's house, and he considered diverting his intentions to see Bo and his daughter. Yet, with his decision still weighing in his mind and his heart still heavy, he could not bring himself to walk across the bridge.

Instead, Link continued on his course up the path toward Rusl and Uli's house. He knocked and waited, the moment hanging uncomfortably until the door opened. The face of Rusl greeted him jovially. "Link! We didn't know when to expect you!" he said, and Link knew he meant the entire village rather than only his family. "Come in. We're about to eat. Hungry?"

Link had not expected so much pomp and circumstance, and it made him a little timid to enter. He had come with the intent to seek Rusl's guidance, but with the household awake and together, it would have been rude to intervene. He had not eaten properly since visiting the bar in Castle Town, where Telma had been certain to force food down him before he dragged Shad and Ashei out on their adventure. Yet, he still did not have much of an appetite.

Just as he was about to kindly decline, he heard Uli from the back of the room, "Of course he is! Link, please, join us."

After setting the table and wiping her hands on a cloth over her shoulder, she came to greet Link with her squinting smile. Her concern for Link's appearance was well hidden, but Link could still see the worry in her eyes.

"Hey, Link!" came the bright call of Colin, leaping down from his seat and marching up to Link with a bundle in his hands. Link heard a strange suck of air and a light moan, and his hand immediately went to his sword as he took a step inside. Just as his eyes searched the room, Uli and Colin giggled as Rusl shut the door.

Rusl clapped a hand on his shoulder, and Link, though puzzled, relaxed. He nodded toward Colin, toward the bundle that he carried.

"Look, Link," he said. "I'm a big brother now, too!"

Link realized he had not even paid attention to the size of Uli's belly. Colin turned to the side, and then Link could see … a small babe, already with a full head of blond hair and two blue eyes staring up at him. A smile tugged at Link's lips, and he could not refuse sharing a meal with the family that had taken him in as one of their own. _His_ family.

There was much laughter to be heard around the breakfast table as the morning wore on, and Link could not remember a time when he had laughed so thoroughly and joyfully nor felt so at ease and at home. As he spent time with the people that had cared for him all his life, and whom he had given everything, he thought perhaps he had made up his mind. Later, as Uli tended to his wounds and changed his bandages, he listened to Colin's tale about their trek through the fields and the woods and told him all about how he helped his mother care for his new sister, already a month old. And as Link listened, he remembered how life used to be, the simplicity of it, the natural order of things, how the highlight of the day could be something as simple as carving a pumpkin or chasing the chickens.

He felt absolutely and undeniably at home and entirely at peace.

"There." Finished with her work, Uli wrapped Link's gnarled and bruised wrist and fingers in fresh, thick bandages and returned his arm to its sling. "It's healing well," she said. The same thing she had said about his side wound when she had checked it. He still could not move his fingers, however, and he wondered if he had permanently lost the use of his hand.

Suddenly, Colin reappeared at his side after having cleared the table. "Dad and I made something for you," he said, and Link remembered when the boy had made every other gift how it had been Uli to announce the gifts and prod her son into presenting them to Link. "Well, Dad did most the work. I just helped him paint it," he corrected, as Rusl returned from having left the room some time ago. He carried something large and flat in his hands, and he set it down on the table.

Link stood and tentatively approached the table, a strange tingle creeping up his spine. He did not know what gift they could have possibly deemed so important, especially given its size. They did not need to present him with gifts, and just as Link was about to courteously refuse, Rusl urged him on. "Go ahead, Link. It's all right."

Still uncertain if he could accept their generosity, Link looked to Colin … finding his awestruck eyes impossible to refuse. Slowly, he lifted the folds of the fabric … and discovered a very familiar metallic sheen underneath.

A shield. His Hylian shield, the one Ganondorf had utterly destroyed.

Involuntarily, Link grabbed his right forearm, the sight of the shield spurring the pain he had felt from Ganondorf's blow to rise once more. It looked as flawless as the day Renado had given it to him, like it had never seen battle, but Link knew better. He would have died countless times had it not been for this plate of steel before him.

Though Colin and Uli watched on with smiles, Rusl's had slowly faded. When Link had gripped his arm at the sight of the shield, he knew what memory had triggered within Link's mind. Rusl clenched his teeth, guilty at having caused him pain. His own memories of watching Link be beaten down again and again surfaced, and just as he was about to step in to comfort Link … Link's hand fell and his fingers touched the crimson bird painted on the shield. Rusl realized he had been holding his breath, and he exhaled an anxious breath.

Link traced the spread of the bird's wings and then ran his fingers across the embossed Triforce symbol above it. He did not know what to feel standing there, faced with a hero's shield. Being back home, being with his family, he thought he had finally figured things out. He thought he might stay and return to his simple life in the woods. But the remnants of his time as Hyrule's hero continued to crop up and would never really go away.

"I…." He looked up at Colin, and then locked eyes with Rusl. "Thank you," said Link with a smile.

But Rusl knew he was pretending. Perhaps he truly was grateful that his shield had been fixed, but there was something wrong, something Link was not saying. Rusl did not have the chance to question him, however, for it was not long after that Link took his leave, Hylian shield once more resting against his back.

When Link left Rusl's house, he had every intention of finally going to see Ilia, but once he stood at the base of the stairs leading up to the porch of her house, Link felt weighed down by the steel on his back. His brows furrowed in his confusion. Why could he not bring himself to enter? How could he just stand there? He pursed his lips, looking from the door to the dirt at his feet, and when he returned his gaze to the door, he let out a restless breath and turned away.

As he walked away, up the hill toward Fado's ranch, his eyes were still heavy with confusion and … was it sorrow he felt? As if he knew he were walking these paths for the last time, saying goodbye to every rock and tree, every_thing_ and every_one_. But how was it he felt like this? He had not decided his road yet.

At the ranch Link prayed he might find some solace, and when he came to the gate and saw the goats in the field and Fado near the stable, he leaned against the gate and watched, as if lost in some dream. Even through the excitement of his adventures, he had missed this, missed the free, open air of the ranch and the sound of the goats as they traipsed about and picked at the grass. Link could not believe what his eyes were telling him … that he had done what he had set out to do, that after everything … he had finally returned home.

Everyone was safe. Everyone was home.

Yet, he still felt … broken … incomplete…. No, those did not describe it, and he could not put his finger on it.

Just then he saw Fado waving in the distance and running toward him. Fado fumbled to open the gate, and when it creaked open, he flung his arms around Link tightly … and squeezed out a genuine laugh.

Though Link could not help in tending the goats, he still wanted to stay and help, thinking that perhaps returning to his routine might help ease his mind. As he worked, however, cleaning the stable and tossing down fresh hay into the pens, his mind wandered. He had finished with his chores before he had realized the passing of time, and when he stepped back out into the late afternoon sun, it was to find Fado herding the goats. Link leaned against the outside of the stable and watched his friend as he weaved this way and that on the back of the brown horse Fado had raised and Link had trained. Link had rarely ever seen Fado on horseback, but he knew that with his absence, Fado had finally been forced to take full responsibility of his ranch.

_He doesn't need me anymore_, Link realized, and though the thought made him happy for his friend … there was a spark of sadness that crept into his smile.

===============

Lost in thought, Link paid little attention to his surroundings as he descended into the village again. His feet had guided him along these paths so many times, that his body mindlessly trudged on, but a soft gasp broke his step and his racing thoughts. Turning, his eyes met the emerald glow of Ilia.

Link's mouth hung open, at a loss for words as he realized he had passed her house and taken one step across the small bridge. "Link…" breathed Ilia. She took slow, careful steps toward him, and Link did likewise. When they met, the silence hung awkwardly as Ilia's eyes began to water. Link could see the worry etched in her face, the lines that had wrinkled her face in the weeks they had been apart.

"You're back," she said softly. She reached out, and when she touched his shoulder, proving to herself that he truly did stand before her, her breath caught through a sudden smile.

Her touch made Link's heart beat faster, and he did not know what to say. He had been trying to figure out how to approach her ever since he had returned. There was so much to say, so much left unresolved between them, but so much that he did not know. Yet, seeing her now, feeling her….

Link kindly took her hand in his and smiled as he gently squeezed her fingers. He could see that she was expecting more, expecting him to say something, wanting him to assure her that he was back … back for good.

He knew what needed to be said, but he could not give her an answer yet. He did not know how best to tell her, and he hoped she would understand. He just needed a little more time.

At the door of her house, Link noticed Bo waddling out only to stop at the sight of Link and Ilia. He looked as though he might retreat to give them privacy, but Link released Ilia's hand, nodded at the mayor, and turned back down the road.

Ilia watched him go, afraid that her worst fear was coming true … that she was losing Link.

Link's chest felt tight, the kind of sick feeling that came from uncertainty and fear of the unknown, fear of making the tough decisions, fear of how it might affect those closest to him. His mood only slightly improved as he grew closer to the edge of the village, where he was met by the excited yelps of the children. Beth and Malo ran up to him, asking question after question about the Twili and his return trip. Talo had been standing atop Beth's house trying to knock down another bee's nest that had formed since their absence, but he halted immediately at the sight of Link and clumsily clambered down the side of the house.

"Link! Dad said you were back," he said.

Link nodded.

"Will you play with us?" asked Malo all of a sudden.

But Beth snapped back before Link could answer. "Of course he can't! Look at his arm, idiot!"

Link snorted a laugh, and while Malo and Beth continued to argue, Talo approached him … more timidly than ever, and he reminded him of how Colin used to be. "Uh, Link…." Talo stumbled over what he wanted to say, but Link understood, could hear the gratitude in his tone, and waited. His thanks came with the offering of the item in his hand, the item he had been playing with. "Here, I never gave this back to you."

Talo opened his fist and presented Link with the slingshot he had made as a boy and the one he had loaned to Talo nearly a year ago.

"Keep it," said Link, and Talo's face lit up.

"Really?"

Link nodded, and watched as Talo ran around, yelling for Beth and his brother. Link watched for a little while as they played, but when he spotted Ilia's house in the distance, his grin faded once more. He turned back down the path, continuing on his way out of the village and feeling more conflicted than he could ever remember.

===============

That evening, Link brought Epona to the spirit spring. Together, they bathed in the calming waters and washed away their aches, washed away the weariness. As they soaked in the water, Link's defenses rinsed away layer after layer until he was at last just the boy of Ordon again. He let the worries of his journey finally trickle away and fade into the ripples of the spring. As he combed Epona's wet mane, however, the deep reds and violets that braided with her hair turned Link's attention to the setting sun, sky ablaze with the goddesses' paints.

_"…just look at the sky! Isn't the black cloud of twilight looking beautiful today?"_ Link heard, but he knew he was only imagining the voice.

Suddenly solemn again, Link sat down in the water, and he could hear Epona do the same behind him. He looked up into the sky, wondering what Midna might be doing, if she was lost in her duties … or if perhaps she, too, were thinking of him.

_"…is perpetual twilight really all that bad?"_ she had once asked Zelda, and Link thought that if every sunset were as beautiful as this … as warm and welcoming as the air of the Twilight Realm … he could have lived like this forever.

Link laid back into the water, and it pooled gently around his body. He closed his eyes, remembering the cool yet warm sensation of the Twilight, but then another memory sprung into his mind … one where he had woken to a completely new world in an eyeblink. King Bulblin and his cohorts had crashed into the spring and changed Link's life forever. Link had splashed into the water, helpless to stop the king from taking his friends. Back then, fear had possessed him. Now, as he lay there, he could accept everything that had happened, and he even wondered where the great ogre had gone since the defeat of Ganondorf.

When he opened his eyes, a swirl of bright pink lights hovered around him. Surprised by the appearance of the light and thinking that perhaps the light spirit had come to speak with him, he jumped to his feet. Yet, this light was different. The little orbs floated all around, humming and whistling as they drew nearer and nearer. They sparkled like diamonds, and as one broke formation and flitted around his head, he realized that these were small sprites, fairies that lived in the forest and who were said to be very skittish around people.

Link reached out as if to greet the little creature, but it flew away, and as he spun around to watch as it soared around him, he felt a burning sensation flow through his right arm. The feeling spread into his chest and abdomen as the little sprites circled him, dusting his body with their purifying glitter. His body tickled and itched at the same time, and just as suddenly as they had come, the fairies zipped away, disappearing once more into the forest.

The tension in his body had lifted, the painful tightness in his arm rinsed away. First, he looked to his stomach, where he found only a scar, his crusted blood and stitches melted by the magic of the sprites. Tentatively, he unwrapped his arm and discovered that he could bend his fingers, every bone now perfectly reset. Looking beyond his hand, he spotted his reflection in the water … and he could barely recognize himself. The scars of his journey still remained, and each held a memory like Ashei said. Even the mark of the divine beast had remained, the symbol still faint but recognizable against his forehead.

But the worst scar lived within him. The mark Midna had left….

"Loneliness always pervades the hour of twilight," came a voice, and Link turned to see Rusl watching him from the shadows.

Link bowed his head, remembering the evening Rusl had first spoken those words, a time when he had still been ignorant to the world … ignorant to loss. "Someone once told me … it's the only time when our world connects with theirs," said Link. He gazed upon his left hand and rubbed the scar he had received during his first night as the wolf, the first night he had met Midna. "The only time we can feel the lingering regrets … of those who have left us…."

Rusl knew exactly who he was thinking of and stepped closer. "You, Link, restored faith to the people of Hyrule. Don't let your victory drain your hope."

_Hope._

His journey had always been about hope; it had seen him through. Hope he would find the children, Epona, and Ilia; that Princess Zelda could save Midna from death; that he would not meet the same fate as the Shade … hope that the people of Hyrule would not lose their dreams to a tyrant. Hope had kept him alive, and it would fuel his journey through life.

Finally, Link admitted what he had kept bottled inside ever since he had witnessed that strange, beautiful face vanish. "I will never see her again." It hurt to finally say it out loud, to finally make it real. "I keep wondering why … but I think I knew all along … that it would end like this."

"You can never lose hope, Link," pressed Rusl, and Link wondered if he was simply consoling him or if he truly believed that. "Hope is what made all this possible."

_"…last potential link…."_

By Midna's testament, finding a way into the Twilight Realm would be impossible … but the goddesses had brought miracles to life countless times before.

"You're leaving aren't you?" Rusl finally asked, but he already knew the answer.

Link looked into his eyes, studying his mentor and hoping to find his answer there, but Link turned away with a sigh. "During my journey … I found out who I was…" he said, struggling to put words to the thoughts that had been spinning in his head for so long now. "So why do I feel…?" He huffed, angry until he was finally able to put a name to his feelings. "Now that I'm back, I've never felt so lost."

Rusl could see every vulnerability in Link in that moment, every doubt and every worry he had ever had. He could see the pain and the happiness, could see his life written in his scars, and for once … he had no answer. "Link, I wish I could help you," he said, "but my days of guiding you are over. I think you have to find your own way now."

Lips pressed tightly together, Link looked toward the sky once more. Deep in thought, he did not hear Rusl take his leave. Drinking in the colors of the horizon, feeling the warmth of the setting sun, and remembering the round little face of a curious little creature … Link made his decision.

===============

That night, Link had found some peace in his sleep, and when he woke the next morning, he laid there a moment, breathing slowly. No matter what it meant, how it affected those around him, he had not changed his mind. It was time to get back to his life, and the way he spent his days was his choice. Like Rusl had said, he had to find his way, and as he lie there he realized … he had made up his mind a long time ago.

Link rolled out of bed and worked through the dawn to bring some order to his house, cleaning his small kitchen area, straightening his shelves and drawers, sweeping the dust from his floorboards. Once his house had been cleaned, he stepped outside to gather up the bundles he had left beside Epona. Before, he had not been able to carry them up due to his arm, but now the use of his fingers had been returned to him. He carried everything inside and unraveled the items on his table and floor. Sprawled before him were the things he had collected along his journey. There was his bow and empty quiver, the boomerang, his small lantern, an empty bomb bag, and the armor the late Queen Rutela had given him.

At first, he had thought to put some of these items away, but….

_"If your father has taught me anything it is to always be prepared,"_ he remembered telling Colin once, and so he began reorganizing his things.

He did not know what he may need on the road ahead.

After packing for the road, bundling his items as well as packing a healthy amount of food for his journey, he donned the hero's garments once more. He stuffed the empty bomb bag into one of the pouches and tightened the strap of his scabbard across his chest. He clasped the leather straps of his gauntlet and bracer over his right arm, and the tightness around his limb again felt good.

Once dressed, he descended into the basement of his house, which was dark even in the brightest days, but a single ray of light peeking in from the windows above was enough to guide him toward the single small chest he kept on the overstocked shelves. He had wrapped it in the small, torn blanket that he had worn when Rusl had found him as a babe, and inside of the little blue chest-ornamented with golden edges-was the single item Rusl had found on his person all those years ago. A beautifully woven coin purse-one that Link liked to think belonged to his mother-and inside was a single violet rupee, its value worth quite a bit in trade.

Link tied the strings of the purse around his belt, closed and wrapped the chest, and set it back down on the shelf. He started back for the stairs, but stopped mid-step when he saw a long, rectangular mirror resting in the corner. He stepped over to it, and when he looked into its reflection, the corner of it cracked, he remembered the morning Midna had left his side. Link stared at his reflection and saw the eyes of the feral beast looking back at him. He would never be the same, and yet he would always be Link….

He touched the symbol that had branded his forehead, and, instead of ruffling his bangs to hide it, he pushed his locks away. He saw the shadows of the basement surrounding him, and he smiled. Midna would never truly be gone. Link would see her, feel her, in every shadow.

===============

Arrows freshly crafted and Epona saddled, Link sat on a rock as he sharpened his blade. The rhythmic and rough chime that sounded each time whetstone and steel met numbed his senses, and he lost himself to his thoughts-trying to think of how to say goodbye to Ilia and the others. He realized how hard it must have been for Midna to leave everything she had come to care for. Once finished, though, he still did not have his answer. He wiped down his blade with a cloth and returned his sword to its sheath as he walked over to Epona, who stood just outside his house. Link tucked away the whetstone and then lifted bundles and blankets, strapping them behind her saddle. Just as he tied his lantern to dangle from the side with his food pack and waterskin, he noticed movement and looked up.

There stood Ilia, hands clasped at her waist as her eyes held back tears and a breath escaped through her open jaw.

Link bit his lip. This had not been how he had wanted Ilia to find out. He looked away for a moment, to gather his nerve. He did not want his emotions to get the better of him; he did not want her to think that this was goodbye. _Goodbye_ was so final.

Ilia took slow steps toward him, and every footfall panged through Link like a fresh stab. Her eyes were watering with tears ready to fall when she at last stopped just a few feet away. She patted Epona's mane, and it was as if it were many months ago as they stood in the spirit spring.

Link could not decide what to say; nothing seemed right. And Ilia did not want to accept what she saw, did not want to make it real.

But it _was_ real.

"Ilia…" Link finally breathed, but the rest of his words escaped him, for with that single word he witnessed Ilia's tears falling silently. Her lips quivered, and as her cheeks flushed and she swallowed a deep breath, he knew she was trying so hard not to fall to pieces in front of him.

"I thought…" she started, her tears strangling her voice. Her chin wavered under the quake of her lips, but she pressed on. "I thought we could settle back into our lives … start back where we'd left off." She took a deep breath as she blinked and held her eyes closed for a moment. When she reopened them, fresh tears cascaded down her cheeks as she shook her head. "But we can't … can we? Everything's different now." Finally, she looked at Link, looked at the boy she had known all her life and the man he had become. "_You're_ different."

Link realized he had been clenching his jaw, perhaps in his attempt to hold back his own tears and swallow the emotions constricting his throat. He took a step forward as he said, "No. My name is Link. I am from Ordona." He stepped closer with each sentence until he had closed the space between them. "And you are my best friend. No amount of time or distance will ever change that, Ilia."

She wanted to believe him, wanted to know he would always think on her, but she could not be sure of anything anymore. Ilia collapsed into his arms, her grief overtaking her. "Please, I don't want to say goodbye," she pleaded into his chest.

Slowly, Link wrapped his arms tightly around her, just as he had done the day she had finally remembered his face and apologized endlessly. He closed his eyes and rested his chin against her head. He listened to her cries as a tear trickled down his cheek. She smelled so wonderful and fit perfectly within his arms, and he would miss her but….

"This isn't goodbye," he promised, and he lowered his cheek to rest against the side of her head. He whispered into her hair, "Never goodbye." He pressed a light kiss into her hair and held her as she cried.

After a short while, Ilia sniffled and looked up at Link. "Can you at least promise me…. Just … come home" -she smiled softly- "…one day?"

Link returned her grin and nodded. He took her face in his hands and wiped away her tears with his thumbs. "One day."

Ilia's heart warmed at his promise, but then he stepped back and mounted Epona. When he urged Epona into a gallop, Ilia raced after him, suddenly afraid. She stopped at the corner of the clearing at the mouth of the path leading into Faron Woods. Holding her hands tightly together at her breast, watching as he quickly sped away and out of sight and into a world far away, she found herself crying again. She could hear the voice of Fado behind her, asking if she had seen Link, but she blocked him out, had to have these last moments with Link, as she watched his image fade away forever.

And she only hoped that one day he might honor his promise.

===============

As Link sped his way through Faron, he was surprised how the strands of his web of worry were quickly snapping and falling away. With each step his heart felt lighter and his spirits seemed to fly as he rode on. He would miss his home, miss his friends, but the world of Hyrule awaited his return. It had been waiting for him all these years.

He stopped when he reached the narrow path beyond the great wooden bridge. A long time ago, he had been dragged into a world of darkness right at this very spot. The pall of darkness that had plagued the lands had long since faded, but he could still remember every detail. In the days behind him he had had only one choice: fight and protect. Now, when he crossed through the wood and reached Hyrule field … there would be several paths from which to choose. He thought perhaps he could visit those he had met on his journey. He could visit the yetis in Snowpeak, or stop in at Zora's Domain to finally introduce himself to their new sovereign, or perhaps he could return to the old sheikah woman.

Whatever his path, he would have friends that welcomed him or a fire to keep him warm, and as he rode toward every tomorrow, he would always have his yesterdays. He pulled out the ornament Ilia had given him. He would always belong to Ordon, just as he would always belong to Hyrule, and he would never forget his childhood friend as he kept the charm close to his heart. He would never say goodbye.

He thought of Midna then, thought of her giggle and of her curious little face.

She had never really left him. It was as if she was there with him now, hanging as nothing but shadow. _"So, shall we go then?"_ she asked-just as she had beckoned him into the twilight covering Eldin.

"Yes," he replied. He tucked away the charm and he threw Epona into a canter.

_See you later_, Link said to Midna, and he smiled, knowing that he would see her as often as he liked in his memories. He knew in his heart that she thought of him in the same way, but even through the sadness of their parting, he knew they had shared something special, something that would warm them even through their darkest days.

Link would see her smile and the sparkle of her red eyes every time the sun set over his world, every time their separate worlds intersected. Separate worlds, forever bound.

Now, it was time to ride into the horizon of tomorrow.

===============

Princess Zelda stepped through the ruined throne room, inching her way toward the giant velvet seat from which her father had once proudly ruled. The memory of Ganondorf's reign was still fresh in her mind, and with the walls and ceiling destroyed in the tryant's rage, she wondered how her hero had survived at all. She gazed up at the broken carving of the goddesses, headless bodies gathered in a circle around the Triforce … and she thanked them.

A castle was nothing more than stone, and the only thing running the length of its veins were cool drafts. She stood there, in the midst of the destruction, among the ruined stones of her home, and smiled.

It could have been worse. Ganondorf could have won. More could have died. Hyrule could have perished.

But none of these things had happened.

Auru came up behind her, and he asked gently, "Princess, what would you have us do?"

Zelda caught sight of something then, and bending over, she found the cloak she had given Link. She ran her fingers over its thick cloth as she looked over its sheikah designs. There beneath it were the ruined shards of the dark crystal Link had crushed, and she remembered the first time she had met Link, a curious animal with bright sapphire eyes. She smiled, remembering his kindness, his selflessness … and his reassuring grin.

It was thanks to him that her kingdom could shine once more.

She looked up at the carving again before turning away. "We will rebuild."

Auru bowed as she left his side and she made her way back through the rubble to reach the balcony at the bottom of the stairs outside. She grasped the railing and looked out onto her kingdom, saw the lush greens and blues, heard the laughter even from this height, felt the wind as it tumbled through her hair and kissed her cheeks.

Zelda wondered if Link was out there somewhere, riding against the horizon. She did not know when she would see him again, be it tomorrow or in a year, but wherever he went and whatever he did, she knew she would always hear stories of him. Such was the nature of heroes and legends.

**-THE END-**


End file.
